Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
S Afr Med J. 2020 Dec 14;111(1):23-25. doi: 10.7196/SAMJ.2020.v111i1.15424.
Whether COVID-19 patients in need of extended care in an intensive care unit qualify for 'emergency medical treatment' is answered by considering the Constitution, the meaning of emergency medical treatment, and whether such patients are in an incurable chronic condition. Considering ethical guidelines for the withholding and withdrawal of treatment may assist a court in determining whether a healthcare practitioner has acted with the degree of skill and care required of a reasonably competent practitioner in his or her branch of the profession.
需要在重症监护病房接受长期护理的 COVID-19 患者是否符合“紧急医疗救治”的条件,可以通过考虑宪法、紧急医疗救治的含义以及此类患者是否处于无法治愈的慢性疾病状态来回答。考虑治疗的保留和撤销的伦理准则可能有助于法院确定医疗保健从业者是否具有其专业领域内合理胜任的从业者所需的技能和护理水平。