Some of the early founders of bioethics recommend using four principles which form the framework for ethical reasoning.

These four principles are:

• Autonomy – one should respect the right of individuals to make their own decisions.
• Beneficence – one should take positive steps in doing good for the patient.
• Non-maleficence – one should avoid causing harm.
• Justice – benefits and risks should be fairly distributed.

Ethical reasoning is critical to resolve ethical issue such as this patient's case. Hence, when confronting an ethical problem, it can be helpful to apply each principle to facilitate some clarity and transparency to the situation.