An unresponsive 94-year-old woman who has recently had a leg amputated for terminal cancer develops renal failure. She has no living relatives. Although hemodialysis will prolong her life for several weeks to several months, her health-care team is having difficulty deciding if it should be initiated. What is the key ethical issue involved in this dilemma?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The key ethical issue involved in this dilemma is distributive justice. This involves the fair allocation of resources, specifically in this case, the use of hemodialysis. Given that the patient has no living relatives, the health-care team must determine if the use of hemodialysis on this patient is worth it compared to its cost and the allocation of resources that could be used for other patients.

An Unresponsive 94-Year-Old Woman Who Has Recently Had a Leg