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Nutritional Needs in Dying Phase — SCE Palliative Medicine MCQ

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EasyEnd of Life CareNutritional Needs in Dying PhaseSCE Palliative Medicine

A dying patient’s relatives ask about the patient’s nutritional needs. She has not eaten for 3 days. They are anxious she is "starving to death." What evidence‑based information should be provided?

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Correct answer: E — In the dying phase, the body’s metabolism slows and nutritional needs fall — reduced intake is a consequence of dying, not a cause; forced feeding may cause aspiration, discomfort or fluid overload

Explanation lettering: D = shown as A · A = shown as B · E = shown as C · C = shown as D · B = shown as E

Reduced intake in the dying phase is a normal, physiological phenomenon as metabolism slows and appetite wanes; starvation is not the cause of death. NICE and NHS‑based guidance explain that oral intake reduction is natural and that forced or artificial feeding carries risks—including aspiration, discomfort and fluid overload—without demonstrable survival or quality‑of‑life benefit. Thus, reassurance, mouth care and comfort measures are indicated rather than nutritional interventions (A, C, D, E) which are inappropriate and potentially harmful.

Reference: NHS ‘Prescribing oral nutritional supplements (ONS) in end‑of‑life care’ (March 2026) and NICE NG31 'Care of dying adults in the last days of life' (2015, updated 2024)