Ethics Roundtable: When the Guardian has a Conflict of Interest

DL is a 41-year-old woman with a history of IV drug use, chronic hepatitis C, opioid use disorder, methamphetamine abuse, hypertension, endocarditis, chronic pain, and prior opioid overdoses. In 2022, she suffered a massive opioid overdose leading to cardiac arrest. After 27 min of ACLS, she regained circulation but sustained severe anoxic brain injury. She has remained unresponsive, with a tracheostomy and oxygen support, and was transferred to a long-term acute care hospital (LTAC). Without a surrogate, a court-appointed conservator was assigned. DL has remained full code with a goal of aggressive treatment. In 2025, DL presented with acute respiratory failure and aspiration pneumonia, progressing to sepsis. She required mechanical ventilation and was later transferred to step-down care. Her neurologic status remains unchanged: unresponsive to voice or pain, with roving gaze and fixed pupils (GCS 8). During care discussions, the conservator insisted on maintaining full code status, citing personal beliefs and financial concerns if DL were to die. She stated, "My job is to keep her alive at all costs," despite acknowledging no medical background. The palliative care team, while recognizing the conservator's legal authority, raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest and requested an ethics committee review.