Should a Physician Ever Violate SWAT or TEMS Protocol in a Mass Casualty Incident?

Abstract

Mass casualty incidents involving active shooters are becoming more common, and many involve special weapons and tactics team responses. Standard of care is to have tactical emergency medical services paramedics or physicians direct triage and administer immediate interventions. In these situations, a clinical and ethical value is to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Cases in which beneficence and justice are at odds are particularly complex. This commentary on such a case argues that directing resources to patients most likely to survive accords triage principles and explores ethical complexity in resource allocation decisions.