Christian Worldview Concepts

Feeding Tubes and End-of-Life Decision Making

Questions Concerning Feeding Tubes

Although the media heightened the public's awareness of advanced directives (i.e., living wills, durable power of attorney for health care), the coverage shed little light on the ethical issues associated with tube feeding patients with serious and permanent brain damage. In this section, I will discuss some of the issues ignored by much of the press. First, I will discuss the nature of tube feeding. Is it a form of artificial life support or what some call "heroic" medical treatment?

Second, I will address the larger question of whether or not a feeding tube can or should ever be withheld or withdrawn from any patient in any type of physical or mental condition. Is it ever ethical to withhold or withdraw a feeding tube? Is withholding or withdrawing a feeding tube always a form of euthanasia? Is a patient's request that tube feeding be withheld or withdrawn a form of suicide? Is it assisted suicide for a family to honor the request of a loved one to withdraw or withhold tube feeding?