Potential case study to explore the issues:

"One 'US soldier' and one 'Iraqi Army' (coalition) soldier present with GSW (gunshot wound) to the chest. Both have low O2 saturations. There is only enough lidocaine for local anaesthesia for one patient, and only one chest tube tray. One will get a chest tube with local anesthesia, and the other will get needle decompression and be monitored by the flight medic."

Source: Michael Gross: "The Limits of Impartial Medial Treatment during Armed Conflict."

In: Gross, Michael L./ Don Carrick (eds). 2013. Military medical ethics for the 21st century. Farnham: Ashgate, p. 77.

Questions for the discussion of this scenario

1. Who gets the chest tube and local anaesthesia?

2. Why?

many more examples can be found here: https://scenarios.militarymedicalethics.ch//index.php?View=entry&EntryID=109