Biomedical Ethics Case Study

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Biomedical Ethics

The case of Dr. Nancy Morrison and Mr. Mills is an important one, as it forces the legal system to tackle the question of Euthanasia and end of life care. The important questions raised by this case are what is the extent of a doctor's responsibilities towards a patient that is in pain and dying, can a doctor make a judgment call and end a patient's life prematurely; can a patient make that decision on their own? Is it ethical to let a patient die in agonizing pain for hours? Also, is it ethical to make that decision as a healthcare provider? The paper will examine the specifics of the case, the extent of the suffering Mr. Mills underwent, and the ethical and moral issues associated with Dr. Morrison's actions.

The specifics of the case are as follows, Mr. Mills was admitted to the Moncton General Hospital in April 1996 for cancer of the esophagus (Sneiderman & Deutscher, p.3). The cancer was removed via surgery but due to necrosis there was leakage of gastrointestinal fluid which infected other tissues. Mr. Mills underwent three further surgeries in Moncton before he was transferred to the QEII in Halifax and underwent another six surgeries, for a total of ten. Mr. Mills lost 42 pounds between October 15 and November 6 and his infections were so severe that healing from his surgeries became unattainable. Mr. Mills was "heavily sedated, on narcotics, on antibiotics, multiple IVs running. Probably in the realm of 10 tubes in him, fully catheter arterial line, central lines for administration of antibiotics, and tubes in his stomach and tubes in his chest" (Sneiderman & Deutscher, p.3). His condition continued to quickly deteriorate; on October 15th he was admitted to the ICU and placed on a ventilator.

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On the 17th his doctors and family signed a DNR. When it was time to take Mr. Mills off life support, it was believed that he would pass away quickly, a means of shortening his anguish. Mr. Mills experienced an extreme shortness of breath for hours. He was administered morphine, Dilaudid, and Versed, yet his shortness of breath continued (Sneiderman & Deutscher, p.4). The nurse in charge of Mr. Mills conveyed his distress and her concerns to Dr. Morrison. Dr. Morrison administered nitroglycerine to decrease blood pressure and when his blood pressure increased after an initial drop, she administered potassium chloride. Dr. Morrison was suspended by the hospital for her actions, and the police later pressed murder charges against her.

There are several legal and ethical reasons that can be issued against Dr. Morrison's actions. First, while the patient previously mentioned wanting to die a month before expiring, he was not conscious to make a decision concerning his healthcare. Secondly, whether Dr. Morrison, willfully, committed murder and should a hospital or any healthcare setting employ healthcare providers that are willing to resort to killing a patient, despite the extreme circumstances. It is a doctor's or nurse's responsibility to look after the welfare of their patients; however what is the limit of this authority. Should a doctor determine whether a patient should live or….....

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