Paul McMullan on ethics of ‘watchful waiting’

[Letter to Times >] Sir, – In setting out to address the medical and ethical issues involved in treating sepsis during pregnancy, Dr Muiris Houston (Health+Family, November 20th) does a reasonable job of the former but fails to employ any consideration of the latter, preferring instead to present a brief discussion of the legal quagmire surrounding abortion in this country. In dealing ethically with an impending inevitable miscarriage and coexistent ascending infection of the womb, it is unethical not to intervene, irrespective of the presence of a foetal heart beat or not. There is no role for “watchful waiting” in this scenario. – Yours, etc,

Dr PAUL MACMULLAN