Instinctively, we, as a society and as individuals, want heroic measures to be taken in cases with dying children, even when the cases seem hopeless. Think back to the case of Baby Jessica, the five year old little girl who fell down the well, in 1992. People donated long hours and expensive equipment, for the hope of saving the life of this girl, even though statistically her chances of survival were not too promising. Similarly, doctors have strong instincts to help their patients. The medical treatment provided by doctors, like Dr. Carter in ER, is a scarce resource.
Doctors provide care that requires skills developed through many years of studying and training.
Thus, Dr. Carter's decision to pursue this man raises questions about resource allocation. Dr. Carter's shoulder injury, sustained while in pursuit of the father, will make it difficult for him to provide his normal standard of care to the patients he will see later that day. In these situations, the doctors' obligations to their other patients, require them to make decisions about how resources could be best distributed to all concerned. Literature Cited 1. The New England Journal of Medicine, vol.