Which of the following describes passive euthanasia?

Passive euthanasia refers to the practice of allowing a patient to die naturally, typically by withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining treatments. This can occur in situations where treatments such as ventilation or feeding tubes are discontinued, allowing the individual’s condition to progress without medical intervention. The key aspect of passive euthanasia is that it does not involve actively hastening death through medications or interventions; instead, it respects the natural course of an illness when it has become terminal or the quality of life is no longer acceptable to the patient.

The other options describe different concepts related to end-of-life care but do not fall under the definition of passive euthanasia. For example, actively administering a lethal drug refers to active euthanasia, which involves direct intervention to cause death. Consenting to assisted death also implies active participation in hastening death, rather than allowing nature to take its course. Inducing death through medication further emphasizes a proactive approach to ending life, which contrasts with the passive approach of simply ceasing treatment. Thus, the choice that accurately reflects the nature of passive euthanasia is the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments.