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The ethics of elective (non-therapeutic) ventilation
A Browne1, G Gillett, M Tweeddale
1Division of Health Care Ethics, University of British Columbia Bioethics Research Centre, University of Otago.
Bioethics
|November 16, 2001
Summary
Elective ventilation (EV), used for organ donation, is ethically questionable. It should only be performed with explicit patient consent, as implied consent is insufficient and risks patient harm.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Transplantation Medicine
- Critical Care
Background:
- Elective ventilation (EV) is a procedure where mechanical ventilation is initiated not for patient benefit, but to preserve organs for transplantation.
- This practice carries a risk of patients surviving in a persistent vegetative state when they might otherwise have died.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the ethical justification of elective ventilation.
- To determine the conditions under which EV might be considered permissible.
Main Methods:
- Ethical argumentation and analysis.
- Examination of consent principles in medical practice.
Main Results:
- Elective ventilation is not justifiable without explicit patient consent.
- Reliance on implied or third-party consent for EV is ethically inadequate.
- Seeking or honoring explicit consent for EV presents potential challenges, including deterring organ donors and causing distress.
Conclusions:
- Explicit patient consent is a prerequisite for the ethical justification of elective ventilation.
- The potential negative consequences of seeking consent for EV warrant careful consideration.
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