Question

An unconscious woman was found partially clothed in a city park that was not illuminated by lighting. The ambulance brings her to your ED. She has no purse and no identification. She is bleeding profusely from a head laceration and the ED physician calls for two units of blood. While this order is being made, a ward clerk whispers to a nurse that the patient looks familiar and may a member of the city’s Jehovah’s Witness group, but the ward clerk is not sure. The nurse immediately calls for a “Time Out” and relays this information to the team. What are the legal and ethical issues for consideration? What should happen?

Answer 1

Well the religious beliefs of Jehovah’s Witness group in medical treatment should not matter in the emergency situation as the medical professionals, it should be first priority to make efforts by providing medical care and treatment to the unconscious woman who is bleeding profusely from a head laceration. The ethical issues being her religious faith is not in alignment to the emergency medical help that the women need. but when we evaluate her life and critical medical condition it should supersede the one life over religion. The legal consideration can be the women belonging to the faith of Jehovah’s Witness group may sue the medical team. But it is not the law to discriminate on the basis of faith and religion from emergency medical care and treatment.

The identity of the women belonging to the Jehovah’s Witness group is speculative and unconfirmed by the ward clerk . And in any case and as per the Hippocratic Oath and medical ethics we have to provide care and treatment to any one who needs it and in this case the women has head injury and if untreated can cause serious complications resulting into a fatality. So the treatment should be stared and her identity or faith or religious beliefs should matter in such emergency medical situations.