AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to millions of articles
from top publications available through your library. When
patients have severe dysphagia after a stroke, tube feeding may
be recommended to reduce the risks associated with malnutrition,
dehydration, and/or aspiration. Patients may not be able to
participate in decision making, but they may have previously
expressed strong preferences related to tube feeding. Clinicians
must work together with the family to establish a treatment plan
that is respectful of the person's previous wishes, yet mindful
of the flaws in advance care planning. Although ethical issues
cannot be avoided, clinicians can reduce uncertainty by
understanding current ethical and legal views on these
challenging issues. Key words: advance directives, artificially
administered nutrition and hydration, deglutition disorders,
tube feeding Seldom is a medical team able to give an exact
prediction for a person's long-term recovery immediately after a
stroke. Although prognostic uncertai