Respecting Parent’s Cultural Beliefs or Saving Child’s Life: an Ethical Dilemma Surrounding Blood Transfusion
Journal Title: Progressing Aspects in Pediatrics and Neonatology - Year 2017, Vol 1, Issue 1
Abstract
Refusal to a medically justified treatment based on cultural beliefs is one of those challenging situations that raise several ethical, moral and legal issues in the health care settings, especially in pediatric settings. This paper presents a case scenario involving a minor who required a blood transfusion, however, the cultural beliefs of child’s surrogate decision makers were against the recommended medical treatment. In view of the clinical scenario, this paper proposes positions that can be considered while encountering similar scenario and shares recommendations to improve the handling of ethical dilemmas in clinical settings. Healthcare professionals are morally obliged to restore patients’ life while respecting patients’ values and beliefs. Though abiding both the obligations apparently appears simple, healthcare professionals often face challenges to maintain a balance between these two obligations. Refusal to a medically justified treatment based on cultural beliefs is one of those challenging situations that raise several ethical, moral and legal issues in the health care setting. In fact, the challenge becomes double if the patient is minor, the situation is an emergency scenario, and the conflict is because of parents’ cultural values. Parent’s refusal to child’s treatment considering cultural beliefs is one of the commonest satiations in pediatric setting [1]. While presenting a case scenario in a pediatric setting, this paper analyzes the encountered ethical dilemma, proposes positions that can be considered while encountering similar scenario, and shares recommendations to improve the handling of ethical dilemmas in clinical settings.
Authors and Affiliations
Shela Akbar Ali Hirani
Keywords
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- EP ID EP575539
- DOI 10.32474/PAPN.2018.01.000104
- Views 88
- Downloads 0
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