La nutrition artificielle en fin de vie : nécessité d'une approche éthique individualisée

The use of artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) at the end of life raises numerous questions with multiple interets. They are of an ethical, legal, economic, social and thus of a political nature. The situation is even more complex when the person is no more able to express him or herself and when the setting up of a treatment prolonging life seems contrary to what he or she would have whished. These reflections call in question the basis of such a practice: is it necessary to withhold or withdraw ANH at the end of life? The present remarks combined with a state of art on the basis of the recebt data in the literature makes it possible to put forward a collection of guidelines to make a decision in complex situations.