I imagine this is a common dilemna in a hospice with cancer patients. The staff must monitor the vital signs, so when respirations drop below a certain point, and the patient is conscious and in a great deal of pain, the family might put pressure to keep administering more and more pain medication.
Some nurses have felt guilty about this, as they have felt they have killed the patient...
I think it is very common is hospice, my FIL died from brain cancer and his last couple day were just a morphine induced coma and he finally passed. My friend just went through the same thing, it took her about 10 days to get to the morphine stage - kept her pain free and no seizures - after 2 days on solid morphine she passed.
There was NO reason for either of them to suffer, and neither staff or family at either Hospice inclined they wanted to “end it quickly” - but it was understood that the morphine would supress their breathing and they would just pass. Thank God they did and Thank God for the care they received.
Brain cancer sucks.