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How Should Surgical Care Team Members Protect Incarcerated Patients From Carceral Officers’ Surveillance or Intrusion?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This commentary on a case considers surgeons' legal and ethical obligations to patients who are incarcerated and accompanied by carceral facility personnel.Case BB is a 40-year-old woman who presented as a high-level trauma code to the emergency department after she was assaulted in her prison.BB is shackled, naked save for limited paper drape coverage, and accompanied by Officer G, an employee of BB's prison.Dr ED evaluates BB in the trauma bay, a large and accessible emergency department room stocked especially for acute trauma, with Officer G looking on.

Source: The AMA Journal of Ethic

DOI: 10.1001/amajethics.2025.257

Authors: Anna Lin, Mallory Williams

Institutions: Howard University Hospital, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County

Language: English

Topic: Ethics and bioethics in healthcare

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4409059018