Palliative Sedation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Palliative Sedation - Essay Example Palliative sedation is a  beneficial  therapy  as it provides comfort and dignified death. The key  value  of palliative medicine is to  relieve  suffering (Braun,  Hagen  & Clark, 2003). It is an accepted and effective symptom  control  method  for patients with intractable physical symptoms. Palliative sedation  get  supported by beneficence,  autonomy  and double  effect  doctrine. According to  autonomy  every person has a right to  decide to regard  health status based on the beliefs, values and goals. Suffering being a personal experience, a person should be given a  chance  to choose the options they  wish  to use to relieve pain (Quill, Dresser & Brock, 1997). Based on beneficence principle, health care practitioners should  offer  care that is beneficial to patients. Relief of suffering whether physical or  emotional  is their  duty. Clinicians should  weigh  all the options and bear in mind that palliative sedation is  beneficial  to the caregivers and family  too. The double effect doctrine deals with the intention of treatment. In this case, the intention is to  relieve  suffering as the patient nears death. Before administering palliative sedation, it is necessary to ensure all other options  are exhausted, and the symptoms are  unmanageable.  Consider different options such as  intermittent, continuous and respite sedation. Caution must be exercised, and administering should be done on informed consent (Hallenbeck, 2000). Shaver, W. & Rousseau, P. (2005). A challenge to the ethical validity of palliative sedation. Program and abstracts of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine/Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association Annual Assembly. New Orleans,