Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare

Running head: LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTHCARE
LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTHCARE
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LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN HEALTHCARE1
1. The case of Marlise Nicole Muñoz was on medical ethics controversy in from November
2013 to January 2014. The patient was suspected with pulmonary embolism and was
stated brain death. Since, she was pregnant, doctors kept her in ventilation in the
intensive care unit regardless of her brain death. Her husband started a legal battle in
order o remove her organ support. However, a Texas law restricted the implementation of
advance directives in the pregnant women. Moreover, Muñoz's husband was not ready to
accept the fact and argued that the law will not be applicable in this case since his wife
was legally dead. The hospital was therefore ordered by a judge to remove the organ
support of the patient.
There are several views and opinions on ethical decisions to extend the somatic
life of a pregnant woman who was dead, often influenced by the gestation of the fetus
when a female suffered injury. Benefits for both the fetus and the mother and their right
to life direct many ethical arguments. It can be considered ethical if extending the
mother's life is possible to have a positive outcome for the foetus (Said et al., 2013).
2. The Terri Schiavo case was a legal right to die case in the United States between 1990
and 2005 that involved a woman who was on an irreversible persistent vegetative state.
Her legal guardians and also her husband argued that she do not want prolonged artificial
of life support without the chance of recovery and voted to remove the feeding tube.
However, her parents argued and challenged her medical condition in favor of giving her
a continuous artificial nutrition and hydration.
The conflict raised from this tragic incident gives a valuable lesson in medicine,
law and ethics. Despite the public interest and media saturation, there was a widespread
confusion regarding persistent vegetative state diagnosis the judicial process that was