title: Equitable resource allocation in the intensive care unit: a descriptive ethical case.
abstract: A patient with respiratory failure due to undiagnosed tuberculosis in the presence of HIV infection presents to the ICU in a foreign country. This raises many ethical questions, quite apart from the medical management issues raised by the patient's serious condition. Six of these ethical questions have been presented to leading physicians and an ethicist, from a range of national, cultural and religious backgrounds, for their comment.
authors.affiliation: Beit Midrash of Western Australia, Dianella, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Elchanan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: P Vernon
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: van Heerden
authors.forename: Felicity H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Hawker
authors.forename: Jeremy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kallenbach
authors.forename: Raymond F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Raper
authors.forename: Colin W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Clinton
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: McEwen
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rubinow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001315:Australia; D016358:Contact Tracing; D003422:Critical Care / Q000941:ethics*; D018563:Disease Notification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012036:Refugees; D016079:Refusal to Treat; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000941:ethics*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D028761:Withholding Treatment
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents