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Hey Marm, perhaps you could post some (any?) scientific/ medical evidence to support your position.

scientific/ medical evidence to support your position.

Which position?

In general, responses to the individual survey items were quite varied, representing inconsistencies in attitudes and care of dying LTC patients

CONCLUSION: Physicians have considerably divergent attitudes toward intravenous hydration for terminally ill cancer patients.

Many of those involved in palliative care have justifiable objections to the introduction of intravenous hydration in patients with dehydration-associated symptoms and advanced cancer. Researchers from the University of Buenos Aires carried out a randomized, comparative and prospective trail to determine the usefulness of hypodermoclysis in the control of thirst, chronic nausea and delirium...Both groups showed significant and equal improvements in relief of thirst and chronic nausea at 24 hours. After 48 hours, this improvement was maintained in the group that received hydration, but only for the relief of chronic nausea. Delirium did not improve significantly in either group during the 48-hour trial period.

Many healthcare professionals believe that dehydration is painful and uncomfortable for dying patients.

Occurrence of hyperactive delirium and the requirement for symptomatic sedation significantly correlated with hepatic failure, opioids, and steroids, while dehydration-related pathologies were significantly associated with hypoactive delirium. Complete recovery was frequently achieved in cases with medication- and hypercalcemia-induced delirium, whereas a low remission rate was related to hepatic failure, dehydration, hypoxia, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

There is danger in referring to terminal sedation and terminal dehydration as alternative forms of euthanasia. We risk compromising care by putting additional pressures on health care professionals, patients, and families to avoid sedatives or administer fluids in the final days of life. In failing to distinguish between the deliberate use of such actions to hasten death from appropriate end-of-life care, the authors confuse the goals and approaches of palliative care, which is aimed at relieving suffering without hastening death, with deliberate forms of euthanasia.

Dehydration and provision of fluids in palliative care. What is the evidence?

"OBJECTIVE: To provide a clinical review of issues surrounding reduced fluid intake in palliative care patients and a practical approach to care for these patients."

"CONCLUSION: Without sound evidence upon which to base clinical decisions, patients, families, and clinicians are left to balance potential benefits and burdens against the goals of care."

perhaps you could post some (any?) scientific/ medical evidence to support your position.

I hope the posts I have made here for you were helpful. In the meantime, a word of advice, if I may. Don't worship too often at the temple of the gods of science and medicine.

When I was born, these same gods told my mother that breastfeeding was harmful and strongly discouraged it. At the same time many physicians were doing advertisements for cigarette companies.