Euthanasia considered immediately post-Katrina

Reports from CNN state that hospital staff at one of New Orleans' hospitals were considering euthanasia as an option in dealing with the crisis. The coroner has reported that some investigators think that this may have occurred. Whatever happened in that hospital, during that crisis may never be truely known, and the thoughts of the care providers during such a uniquely difficult time cannot be understood.
Without getting into the euthanasia debate (euthanasia is illegal and the "law of the land" supercedes any ethical obligations that health care providers may feel towards assisting suicide), lets take a look at this ethical dilemma. Doctors and Nurses are obliged to do many things for patients. Nurses have values that must guide their practice. Where the issue gets muddy is when one tries to gauge what ethical values are more important. Is the sanctity of life more important than removing pain? Is causing someone to die earlier a harm (they are now dead) or a benefit (they now have no pain). Is it fair to keep one person alive, taking up the time and expertise of a physician and three nurses, or do you let them go and use these professionals to care for other people?
A "triage" type of medical care used during such a scenario may lead to patients needing critical care, such as a ventilated patients, being prioritized lower because the manpower that would be needed to sustain life (in this case, manual ventilations using an ambu-bag 24/7) could be used to save numerous other lives of patients who although very sick, not that sick. In such a case it would be ethical and legal to provide pain control such as a narcotic analgesic even though this would be likely to cause an earlier death for that patient. This is known as compassionate care. This also includes withdrawing care at the patient's request save comfort care such as pain control. Dying with dignity and comfort has been a hallmark of the nursing profession since Nightingale.
If, as is alleged, health care providers actively and consciously ended the life of patients is in breach of not only the law, but of professional ethical standards. To clarify (and it is a muddy situation), if in order to relieve the pain of the dying process, a drug is given that hastens the death of the patient, but allows them to die with dignity, and there is an informed consent by the patient, that is acceptable. To cause the death of someone is unethical according to any professional licencing body as well as murder according to the supreme court of Canada. Ask Robert Latimer. It's a fine line. What really happened in hospitals along the gulf coast? No one will ever really know except those who were there. The only certainty is that another chapter in the euthanasia debate is being written in Louisiana.