Reallocating ventilators during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: Is it ethical?

Abstract

The unprecedented coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged our society to evaluate our core values and ethics. In a crisis like none other, health care facilities and physicians are now facing shortages of ventilators, beds, and even basic personal protective equipment. Many physicians are already facing a profound ethical dilemma: how to allocate these resources during shortages,1-4 with some hospitals, states, and countries even having to establish policies on which groups of patients to prioritize in providing lifesaving treatment during the COVID-19 crisis.