Article Sidebar
Published:
Sep 19, 2006Article Details
Issue
Section
Articles
By submitting manuscripts to SAFP, authors of original articles are assigning copyright to the SA Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care. Copyright of review articles are assigned to the Publisher, Medpharm Publications (Pty) Ltd, unless otherwise specified. Authors may use their own work after publication without written permission, provided they acknowledge the original source. Individuals and academic institutions may freely copy and distribute articles published in SAFP for educational and research purposes without obtaining permission.
Main Article Content
The Principle of Proportionality: Foregoing / Withdrawing Life Support
Abstract
Thirst and hunger are basic physiological conditions that trigger on the search for food and fluids. Both sensations are mediated cortically; therefore, they cannot be present in patients in a permanent vegetative state (PVS).1 Similarly, PVS patients may react to painful and other noxious stimuli but do not feel pain in the sense of conscious discomfort.2 Furthermore, PVS patients lack gag and swallowing reflexes; therefore, they cannot be fed by mouth.3
For full text, click here:SA Fam Pract 2005;47(8):66-67
