Allow natural death

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Allow Natural Death (AND)

Allow Natural Death (AND), pronounced /əˈlaʊ ˈnætʃərəl ˈdɛθ/, is a medical term that refers to the decision not to administer life-prolonging treatments to patients who are terminally ill or in a persistent vegetative state. The term is often used interchangeably with Do Not Resuscitate (DNR), but there are subtle differences between the two.

Etymology

The term "Allow Natural Death" is relatively new in medical parlance. It was proposed as a more positive and compassionate alternative to the term "Do Not Resuscitate". The focus is shifted from the act of withholding or withdrawing treatment to allowing the natural process of death to occur.

Related Terms

  • Do Not Resuscitate (DNR): A legal order written in a hospital or in conjunction with a doctor's care to withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), in respect of the wishes of a patient in case their heart were to stop or they were to stop breathing.
  • Advance Directive: A legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacity.
  • Palliative Care: A specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients.
  • Hospice Care: A type of care and philosophy of care that focuses on the palliation of a chronically ill, terminally ill or seriously ill patient's pain and symptoms, and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs.
  • End-of-life care: Health care, not only of patients in the final hours or days of their lives, but more broadly care of all those with a terminal illness or terminal condition that has become advanced, progressive, and incurable.

See Also

External links

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