Ethics for Lunch: When Family & Care Team Concerns about Pain Management Collide

The panel discusses a case of a woman who is ventilated and appears to be in pain. The family has agreed to intermittent pain medication, but not consistently. Both the family and the care team are under significant moral distress. The panel reflects on the tensions between respecting medical decisions and a clinician's duty to relieve suffering, and how to define 'best interests' when important values (e.g., being able to communicate, being free of pain) are at odds.