I was thinking that the estimates I’ve seen were that thirst kills you in around a week depending on your ambient conditions and physical exertion; being in a hospital and doing little would seem to extend the expected duration before thirst kills you. Unless Kim were some sort of super-girl who could set world records for surviving weeks without any water, that strongly suggests that the food/water deprivation was what actually killed her.
Normally in a hospital, if a patient doesn’t drink enough for any reason, they’re hydrated via IV drip. When I was being treated for cancer, whenever I came in to be hospitalized I was connected to an IV drip—even if I wasn’t medicated right away; that was standard policy for all hospitalized patients.
It seems bizarre that a hospitalized patient could suicide by not drinking without the staff being complicit. That’s why I thought at first that something else must have killed her; perhaps she was already very weak from the cancer or from chemotherapy, and not eating for 11 days made her weak enough to die.
It seems bizarre that a hospitalized patient could suicide by not drinking without the staff being complicit.
I’m sure they are, but I don’t think the situation is that bizarre. I mean, isn’t that exactly how Terry Schiavo’s body died? The husband had food & water withdrawn, and the hospital staff was complicit in letting it die.
One survey of hospice nurses in Oregon (where physician-assisted suicide is legal) found that nearly twice as many had cared for patients who chose voluntary refusal of food and fluids to hasten death as had cared for patients who chose physician-assisted suicide.[13] They also rated fasting and dehydration as causing less suffering and pain and being more peaceful than physician-assisted suicide.[14] There can be a fine line between terminal sedation that results in death by dehydration and euthanasia.[15] Studies have shown that for terminally ill patients who choose to die, deaths by terminal dehydration are generally peaceful, and not associated with suffering, when supplemented with adequate pain medication.[16][17][18][19][20][21]
I had thought dehydration was a terrible way to die. I guess not.
Of course that last sentence says, “when supplemented with adequate pain medication.” I still suspect that dehydration is a terrible way to die otherwise.
I was thinking that the estimates I’ve seen were that thirst kills you in around a week depending on your ambient conditions and physical exertion; being in a hospital and doing little would seem to extend the expected duration before thirst kills you. Unless Kim were some sort of super-girl who could set world records for surviving weeks without any water, that strongly suggests that the food/water deprivation was what actually killed her.
Normally in a hospital, if a patient doesn’t drink enough for any reason, they’re hydrated via IV drip. When I was being treated for cancer, whenever I came in to be hospitalized I was connected to an IV drip—even if I wasn’t medicated right away; that was standard policy for all hospitalized patients.
It seems bizarre that a hospitalized patient could suicide by not drinking without the staff being complicit. That’s why I thought at first that something else must have killed her; perhaps she was already very weak from the cancer or from chemotherapy, and not eating for 11 days made her weak enough to die.
I’m sure they are, but I don’t think the situation is that bizarre. I mean, isn’t that exactly how Terry Schiavo’s body died? The husband had food & water withdrawn, and the hospital staff was complicit in letting it die.
Reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_dehydration#Voluntary the legal basis is actually a little weird. Apparently putting in the IV drip without consent would constitute assault! And this right to refuse treatment has been upheld at the Supreme Court. I am also surprised to read this:
I had thought dehydration was a terrible way to die. I guess not.
Of course that last sentence says, “when supplemented with adequate pain medication.” I still suspect that dehydration is a terrible way to die otherwise.
And guess what’s the preferred way to administrate some of the most intensive pain medications? IV drip!