Jehovah's Witnesses and Blood Transfusion: Is there a way out?

  • Prof. Gboyego A Ogunbanjo Medunsa
  • Dr Donna Knapp van Bogaert Medunsa

Abstract

CASE STUDY: Patient AB, a 25-year-old Jehovah's Witness is involved in a motor vehicle accident, in which he has lost a lot of blood from a compound fracture of the left femur bone. He is rushed to the nearby accident and emergency unit where the attending family practitioner orders blood for transfusion.The patient refuses to be transfused on religious grounds and the family practitioner is in an ethical dilemma to transfuse or not to transfuse the patient.

Author Biographies

Prof. Gboyego A Ogunbanjo, Medunsa
MBBS, MFGP(SA), M Fam Med (Medunsa), FACRRM Dept. of Family Medicine & Primary Health Care
Dr Donna Knapp van Bogaert, Medunsa
MA, MBA, M. PHIL Applied Ethics (Biomedical & Business,) (Stell) Department of Anat Path
Issue
Vol 23 No 4 (2001)
Section
Review Articles
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