title: A young adult Jehovah's Witness with severe anemia.
abstract: Two of the most ethically complex situations in pediatrics are those involving families whose religious beliefs preclude the provision of life-sustaining treatment and those involving young adults who have reached the age of legal majority and who face decisions about life-sustaining treatment. This month's "Ethics Rounds" presents a case in which these 2 complexities overlapped. An 18-year-old Jehovah's Witness with sickle cell disease has life-threatening anemia. She is going into heart failure. Her doctors urgently recommend blood transfusions. The young woman and her family adamantly refuse. Should the doctors let her die? Is there any alternative?
authors: New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
authors: Nnenna
authors: N
authors: Ukachi
authors: Wynne
authors: W
authors: Morrison
authors: Samantha
authors: S
authors: Vanhorn
authors: Revathy
authors: R
authors: Sundaram
authors: John D
authors: JD
authors: Lantos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000941:ethics*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000941:ethics; D003422:Critical Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D028741:Ethics Committees, Clinical; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006452:Hemoglobinometry; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D033221:Jehovah's Witnesses; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000941:ethics; D011368:Professional-Family Relations / Q000941:ethics; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D011379:Prognosis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000941:ethics*; D035502:Trust
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D006918:Hydroxyurea
keywords: Jehovah’s Witness; adolescent patients; age of consent; alternate therapies; blood transfusion; clinical issues; ethical issues; sickle cell anemia; sickle cell disease