By Luís Cordeiro-Rodrigues. In Sophocles’ play Antigone, Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, decides that, as a punishment for Polynices’s rebellion, Polynices will not receive a proper funeral but will instead lie unburied on the battlefield to be eaten by animals. Antigone, one of Polynices’s sisters, defies Creon’s orders and gives her brother a funeral […]
Latest articles
Indirect racial discrimination in COVID-19 ethical guidance
By Harleen Kaur Johal, Rachel Prout, Marianne Tinkler. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged all communities, increasing evidence has emerged that certain sectors have been disproportionately affected. A Public Health England report identified individuals from Black ethnic groups as most likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19. The risk of mortality was also estimated as being […]
Psychiatric patients and the decisional authority in the context of euthanasia. Is the psychiatrist a competent gatekeeper?
By Frank Schweitser In Belgium people with an incurable psychiatric disorder can file a request for euthanasia claiming unbearable psychic suffering. For the request to be accepted, it has to meet stringent legal criteria. Psychiatrists play an important role in the evaluation of these criteria. One of the legal requirements is that the patient possess […]
People with disabilities are worth saving, too: Ensuring healthcare equity during the COVID-19 pandemic
By Molly M. King Before we face another swell of the pandemic, we have the opportunity as a country to take stock of early lessons learned about the vulnerabilities of our nation’s healthcare system. As our nation celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we have other shortcomings to reflect on, as […]
Proving our worth: why clinical ethicists should help discuss treatment allocation decisions
By Trevor M. Bibler. Clinical ethicists across the nation, and throughout the world, have recently devoted their waking hours to developing triage and allocation policies in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. As these policies develop, we find general agreement that shared processes should take the place of ad hoc, bedside allocation decisions, and that […]
We should sit this one out: Why ethicists should not help discuss treatment allocation decisions
By Claire Horner. Ethicists help both health care professionals and patients and their families by working through complex ethical questions or facilitating communication in a conflict. Clinical Ethics Consultation (CEC) is generally defined as “a set of services provided by an individual or group in response to questions from patients, families, surrogates, health care providers […]
The importance of mourning rituals to the dead
By Luís Cordeiro Rodrigues In Sophocles’ play Antigone, Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, decides that, as a punishment for Polynices’s rebellion, Polynices will not receive a proper funeral but will instead lie unburied on the battlefield to be eaten by animals. Antigone, one of Polynices’s sisters, defies Creon’s orders and gives her brother a […]
PPE in the hospital: ethical decision-making that balances health professional wellbeing and duty to care
By Rosalind McDougall, Lynn Gillam, Danielle Ko, Isabella Holmes, Clare Delany Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians in well-resourced healthcare systems usually had the information and resources they needed to appropriately protect themselves while still providing optimal care for patients. However, achieving both staff protection and high quality patient care has now become difficult in […]
Mechanical ventilators: the evidence of effectiveness
By Jonathan J. Darrow and Jing Luo As government leaders move to relax physical distancing requirements related to severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a central assumption is that mechanical ventilators will form part of the safety net needed to sustain life in those afflicted with the disease it causes, Covid-19. Ventilators have been described as […]
Patents, private governance and access to vaccines and treatments for Covid-19
By Aisling McMahon Recent moves such as by the United States and United Kingdom to negotiate deals to access large quantities of vaccines/medicines for Covid-19 within their territories raise serious questions around access to healthcare and global equitable distribution. Such attempts to secure preferential access, although understandable within the national context, can jeopardise supplies of […]