Withholding or withdrawal of a particular treatment or treatments, often (but not necessarily) life-prolonging treatment, from a patient or from a research subject as part of a research protocol. The concept is differentiated from REFUSAL TO TREAT, where the emphasis is on the health professional's or health facility's refusal to treat a patient or group of patients when the patient or the patient's representative requests treatment. Withholding of life-prolonging treatment is usually indexed only with EUTHANASIA, PASSIVE, unless the distinction between withholding and withdrawing treatment, or the issue of withholding palliative rather than curative treatment, is discussed.

Descriptor ID	D028761
MeSH Number(s)	E02.760.952 N02.421.585.952
Concept/Terms	Withholding Treatment Withholding Treatment Treatment, Withholding Treatments, Withholding Withholding Treatments Cessation of Treatment Treatment Cessation Treatment Cessations Withdrawing Treatment Withdrawing Treatment Treatment, Withdrawing Treatments, Withdrawing Withdrawing Treatments Withdrawing Care Withdrawing Care Care, Withdrawing

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is more general than "Withholding Treatment".

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is related to "Withholding Treatment".

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is more specific than "Withholding Treatment".