Open AccessCOVID-19 pandemic causing medical and public health ethical dilemmas: A case report and review of literature
Author(s) -
Jarelys M Hernandez,
Barbara Lubrano di Ciccone,
Sarah Thirlwell,
Margaret Booth-Jones,
Sadaf Aslam,
John N. Greene
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
qualitative research in medicine and healthcare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2532-2044
DOI - 10.4081/qrmh.2021.9690
Subject(s) - pandemic , directive , covid-19 , public health , health care , moral dilemma , political science , public relations , ethical issues , medicine , nursing , engineering ethics , psychology , law , social psychology , disease , pathology , computer science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , programming language , engineering
The COVID-19 pandemic presented myriad of unprecedented and daunting ethical dilemmas to healthcare workers, patients, their families, and the public health. Here we present a case of a 42-years-old Hispanic female with underlying hematological malignancy that developed severe SARS-COV-2 infection amidst the pandemic. This case illustrates some remarkable ethical dilemmas during pandemic times, including the lack of advanced directive planning, the repercussions of restricting family visits, and what ethics in crisis and moral injury entails. Identifying the ethical challenges emerging from the pandemic will assist physicians and other providers in making proper decisions and maintaining the best standard of care.