The ethics of procedures on the nearly dead
The report from the field was not promising by any stretch: extensive trauma, and perhaps most importantly unknown “downtime” (referencing the period where the patient received no basic care like CPR). The patient remained pulseless en route; we were all aware of the markedly poor prognosis.
On arrival, the patient was swarmed by providers. Trauma surgeons at the foot of the bed cut down at the femoral artery to deploy a …
