Over the past couple of days, as patients poured onto the USNS Comfort, it has become clear that the ship is reaching its breaking point. Space and supplies are overtaxed. The injuries are so abundant and severe that an otherwise acceptable caseload is unmanageable. And medical staffers realize that the ship might have to accept a reduced standard of care for Haitian patients, who don't have the luxuries of long-term rehabilitation.

"Now, the staff may have to decline care to some critically injured patients, if only to free up room and resources that could be used to save more people. "We can't look at each individual patient and say we're going to do everything for them that is possible, like we do in the United States. We have to acknowledge that we don't have endless resources," said Capt. Andrew Johnson, the ship's director of medical operations.