Healthcare Professionals’ Ethical Dilemma in Out-of-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Arrest: A Scoping Review
Andreia Pinto, Luís Paiva, Sandra BaptistaObjective: Cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) is a prevalent scenario outside the hospital. When a nurse, the most qualified professional present during such an event, encounters a CPA situation, they may face an ethical and legal dilemma. Legally, they lack the authority to declare death, thus necessitating the initiation of advanced life support (ALS) maneuvers without the ability to determine whether to cease them. This study aims to identify the factors influencing the ethical dilemma experienced by healthcare professionals in out-of-hospital CPA situations.
Method: Utilizing the scoping review approach following the Joanna Briggs Institute method, we analyzed article relevance, data extraction, and synthesis performed independently by two reviewers. Following the application of predefined inclusion criteria, 11 studies were included in the review.
Results: Studies were categorized based on factors influencing the ethical dilemma encountered by healthcare professionals in CPA situations outside the hospital, ethical principles guiding such situations, the roles of healthcare professionals involved, the contextual aspects of CPA incidents, and strategies facilitating decision-making for healthcare professionals.
Conclusion: This scoping review has contributed to understanding factors affecting ethical dilemmas healthcare professionals face in CPA situations outside the hospital.