PHI-2635 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Blood Transfusion, Advance Healthcare Directive
Document Summary
There is a conflict between the directive and the action needed to be decided on. Assume that the advance directive was at 50 and the critical decision occurred 5 years later. Assume that is no evidence to suggest that the patient has changed his or her mind in 5 years. Assume that you do not have a proxy. Scenario 1: directive that blood transfusion should not be given to her. With the blood, she would be able to live. She does not seem to care about religion after she lost her mind but she was an avid religious member right before the incident. While there is a duty to not harm the patients, the doctors have a duty to respect the wishes of their patients. Scenario 2: person believes that life should be compensated and that suffering has value in the afterlife. Prepares a directive that all pain relievers should be regretted.
