The ethical dilemma of ventilator sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Ventilator sharing, an ethically challenging and difficult decision for the healthcare providers to make, has emerged due to scarce medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals find themselves tangled in the ethical complexity of ventilator sharing at every step – selecting patients, maintaining patient privacy, using appropriate ventilator settings, and avoiding complications. It becomes hard to morally answer questions related to ventilator sharing due to a lack of scientific research in this regard.