Patients with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Should not Receive CPR

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for Ebola patients
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Ebola is a viral disease that has caused havoc in the recent past in the world. The disease has caused anxiety among the medical professionals because of the high risks involved and at times death of health workers when taking care of patients (Abella et al., 2005). The virus is transmitted through body fluids such as blood, semen, urine, stool, saliva, and emesis. One of the ways to treat Ebola is through cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It is a lifesaving technique applied in cases of heart attack or near drowning when someone’s breathing and pulse beat has stopped (Wik, 2005). The application of CPR in Ebola treatment has thrust the health ethics standard into the spotlight. CPR involves a broad range of activities from the placement of an artificial airway to administering a chest compression to a patient, all of which expose a physician to Ebola virus infection (Svensson et al., 2010). In spite of the risks in CPR administration, it should be done to save lives of patients.
The controversy around giving CPR to patients with Ebola infection is based on selfish ideologies. The health workers fear to give CPR to a patient with Ebola, and this will ensure an outright death for them (West et al., 2014). Their death will be against the principle ethics of doctors which are to save lives. Instead of withholding CPR from patients, hospitals should train health workers in personal protective equipment (PPE). Also seventy percent of patients suffering from the disease die (Torabi-Parizi et al., 2015). CPR being a common method to save dying patients, it cannot be held back Ebola patients. Following the PPE procedure will ensure a reduced death rate, all the while, keeping the health wor...