ABSTRACT
The withholding (WH) and withdrawal (WD) of life support (LS) are processes by which various medical interventions either are not given to patients or are removed from them with the expectation that the patients will die from their underlying disease, or from an acute intercurrent process. Life-sustaining treatment includes, among other therapies, mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drugs, chemotherapy, antibiotics, renal dialysis, artificial nutrition, and hydration.
