Autonomy and the law: Constitution and statutes: Scenario
- An unconscious accident victim patient with severe head injuries is brought by ambulance to a hospital casualty ward. The patient has made an advance directive in a ‘living will’, which states that she does not want to be resuscitated, should she be injured or become ill to the extent that her prognosis is hopeless, or she will remain in a permanent vegetative state (PVS) if she is kept alive. She repeated this request shortly before she lapsed into unconsciousness. The patient’s condition is assessed by the casualty doctor on duty. The prognosis is that she is unlikely to regain consciousness and will remain in a PVS state.
- What should the casualty doctor and his health team do to ensure that they act ethically and legally?