Recovering from a flu pandemic. For hospitals, recovery can be as demanding as the event itself.

BY JO ANN NETTLETON & GORDON SELF Ms. Nettleton is director, education and research; and Mr. Self is vice president, mission, ethics, and spirituality, Caritas Health Group, Edmonton, Alberta. I he anticipated arrival of a global I influenza pandemic has spurred discus__J^sion of ethical issues related to it. Once a flu pandemic occurs, it will force hospital leaders to make difficult decisionsconcerning, for example, which patients should and should not be admitted to critical care services that are already overrun. Such decisions are inherently valuesbased decisions, and are therefore ethical in nature. Even decisions concerning when and how best to communicate with the public about the crisis (including disclosure of possible plans to cope with it) involve ethical considerations.