Case : A woman enters the emergency room with stomach pain. She undergoes a
CT scan and is diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a weakening in the wall of the
aorta which causes it to stretch and bulge. The physicians inform her that the only way to fix the
problem is surgically, and that the chances of survival are about 50/50. They also inform her that
time is of the essence, and that should the aneurysm burst, she would be dead in a few short
minutes. The woman is a dancer; she worries that the surgery will leave a scar that will
negatively affect her work; therefore, she refuses any surgical treatment. Even after much
pressuring from the physicians, she adamantly refuses surgery. Feeling that the woman is not in
her correct state of mind and knowing that time is of the essence, the surgeons decide to perform
the procedure without consent. They anesthetize her and surgically repair the aneurysm. She
survives, and sues the hospital for millions of dollarsGuideline questionsDo you believe that the physician’s actions were justified, not justified, or both in any
way?
Is it ever right to take away someone’s autonomy? (Would a court order make the
physicians’ decisions ethical?)
What would you do if you were one of the health care workers?
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