Why do unresponsive patients still matter? / Anthony Fisher -- Are we morally obliged to feed pvs patients till natural death? / Michael Degnan -- Caring for persons in the "persistent vegetative state" and Pope John Paul II's March 20 2004 address on "life-sustaining treatments and the vegetative state" / William E. May -- Food and fluids : human law, human rights and human interests / Jacqueline Laing -- Quality of life and assisted nutrition / Alfonso Gómez-Lobo -- Towards ethical guidelines for the use of artificial nutrition and hydration / Joseph Boyle -- Understanding the ethics of artificially providing food and water / J.L.A. Garcia -- The ethics of Pope John Paul II's allocution on care of the PVS patient : a response to J.L.A. Garcia / Peter J. Cataldo -- Reflections on the papal allocution concerning care for PVS patients / Kevin O'Rourke -- The papal allocution concerning care for PVS patients : a reply to Fr. O'Rourke / Patrick Lee -- Response to Patrick Lee / Kevin O'Rourke -- The morality of tubefeeding PVS patients : a critique of the view of Kevin O'Rourke, O.P. / Mark S. Latkovic -- Ten errors regarding end of life issues, and especially artificial nutrition and hydration / Christopher Tollefsen
Summary
Pope John Paul II surprised the medical world in 2004 with his statement insisting that patients in a vegetative state should be provided with nutrition and hydration. This collection of essays addresses the Pope's statement, the moral issues surrounding artificial feeding and hydration, the refusal of treatment and the ethics of end-of-life care