Assignment Description:
Read the case study presented at the end of Chapter 8 (Guido, p.133) which begins, “The patient was hospitalized for extreme low back pain…”
• Was there informed consent for the initial medications given to the patient?
• How would you determine that informed consent had been given for the MRI and the medications needed for sedation for the test?
• Was the informed consent deficient to the degree that there was a lack of informed consent for the patient for the second dose of medications?
• How would you decide this case?
Read the case study presented at the end of Chapter 9 (Guido, p. 150) which begins, “Jimmy, a Floridian, has undergone two liver transplants.”:
• What questions would you anticipate the judge to ask Jimmy to ascertain his level of maturity, understanding of the full consequences of his lack of action, and possible alternative reasons for requesting that he be allowed to make his own medical decisions?
• How should the judge evaluate the mother’s response to her son’s request?
• Does the state of residency factor into the judge’s decision?
• Are there additional issues that should be addressed prior to deciding the outcome of this case?
• How would you decide the case?
Jimmy Chang, a 20- year- old college student, is admitted to your institution for additional chemotherapy. Jimmy was diagnosed with leukemia 5 years earlier and has had several courses of chemotherapy. He is currently in an acute active phase of the disease, though he had enjoyed a 14- month remission phase prior to this admission. His parents, who accompany him to the hospital, are divided as to the benefits of additional chemotherapy. His mother is adamant that she will sign the informed consent form for this course of therapy, and his father is equally adamant that he will refuse to sign the informed consent form because “Jimmy has suffered enough.”
