[TAdams8591]

A ventilator is extraordinary means, the machine is doing the work of the lungs. A feeding tube is ordinary means, and is NOT doing the work of the stomach. Many times it is inserted for the convenience of the care givers.

BTW, feeding tubes have been around since Egyptian times with improvements over many years. They have been used to put nutrition into the stomache via the nasal cavity since the 1600's and were used fairly commonly since the civil war. The latest innovation was developed in 1979, and they have been used with greater frequency ever since.

[unbalanced but fair]

So suffocating someone is okay? I can remember the days of people in iron lungs. That would be extrordinary means?

[MHGinTN]

I have a dear cousin caring for her step mother, using a feeding tube because to feed her by mouth is so tedious (keeping suction close at hand to prevent aspirations) and time consuming that it is better for the stepmother and my cousin that a tube be used. The Lady cannot talk (extreme tardive diskenesis), but she does like having that food 'fill up her tummy'.