A life-prolonging procedure, also referred to as a life-sustaining procedure or treatment, is a treatment with the purpose of prolonging or sustaining life without reversing the underlying medical condition. According to Oxford Medicine, some examples of life prolonging procedures or treatments may include, but are not limited to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), mechanical ventilation, and hemodialysis.
[Last updated in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]