Informed consent? A 72-year-old man with multiple sclerosis is hospitalized. His doctor feels he may need to be placed on a feeding tube soon to ensure adequate nourishment. He asks the patient about this in the morning and the patient agrees. However, in the evening (before the tube has been placed), the patient becomes disoriented and seems confused about his decision to have the feeding tube placed. He tells the doctor he doesn’t want it in. The doctor revisits the question in the morning, when the patient is again lucid. Unable to recall his state of mind from the previous evening, the patient again agrees to the procedure. Do you believe the patient has given informed consent to the procedure?

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