Case 1:
The patient Smith Mark enters the emergency room with stomach pain. She undergoes a
CT scan and is diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a weakening
in the wall of the aorta which causes it to stretch and bulge (this is very similar to what led to John Ritter’s death). The physicians inform him that the only way to fix the problem is surgically and that the chances of survival are
about 50/50. They also inform him that time is of the essence, and that
should the aneurysm burst, she would be dead in a few short minutes. The
man is an erotic dancer; he worries that the surgery will leave a scar that
will negatively affect her work; therefore, she refuses any surgical treatment.
Even after much pressure from the physicians, she adamantly refuses
surgery. Feeling that the man is not in her correct state of mind and
knowing that time is of the essence, the surgeons decide to perform the
procedure without consent. They anesthetize him and surgically repair the
aneurysm. he survives and sues the hospital for 10 million dollars.
Answer the following questions:
Did the physicians protect the patient? How?
What are the moral and ethical issues in this case?
Do you believe that the physicians’ actions can be justified in any way?
Is there anything else that they could have done?
In your replies:
Share past experiences that may relate to your peers’ responses.
If you found any of your peers’ tips or ideas useful, share them and explain why you might use them yourself in the future.
Provide any input that may be useful in your peers’ initial post.
Cite and reference sources according to APA Style.
