A reader writes:
As a hospice RN, I feel I should point out the common misperception expressed by the Hospice chaplain who said, "It can be argued that the morphine greatly, and mercifully, accelerates death." I believe the revered gentleman is speaking to a subject that lies well outside his field of competency. Morphine sulfate is extremely safe when administered in appropriate dosages, which is the reason it's so widely used to treat pain. Morphine administration at the end of life does NOT hasten death. In fact, adequate pain control tends to actually extend life. Morphine dosages that are appropriate for the amount of pain the patient is experiencing will not depress respirations, which is the primary life-threatening side-effect of inappropriately large doses of Morphine. (Here's an article in ScienceDaily on the subject.)
The Dish 