The Myth of Artificial Nutrition in End of Life Care
As a cancer survivor and a registered dietitian, it is difficult for me to see my oncology patients not able to tolerate food. One of my patients with incurable cancer was admitted with bowel obstruction and therefore unable to tolerate any liquid, not to say solid food. After numerous unsuccessful trials of liquid, this patient decided to get a venting gastrostomy for palliative care and go home with hospice service. However, because of guilt of seeing their loved one suffer from starvation, one of the family members brought up the idea of parenteral nutrition to go home with, which contradicts with the medical team's recommendation. Parenteral nutrition is a form of artificial nutrition and hydration in which nutrition and fluid are delivered via an intravenous catheter to provide partial or total nutrition support. However, artificial nutrition and hydration require the patient to undergo uncomfortable procedures for the nutrition support to be started. It has known s...