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Ethics Questions


2009MD

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

The content is more or less the same, but he draws different conclusions for some of his cases.

 

E.g. at the very beginning of the book there is an introductory case about prescribing antibiotics against your best judgment to a frustrated patient on a Friday afternoon. He allows it in the first edition, but not the second.

 

If you are reading the book just to familiarize yourself with some cases and ethical terms, than either version goes. :)

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Like what?

 

You are a family doc. Patient comes in with classic cold symptoms. You tell him to get some rest and drink some fluids; "We can send a man to the moon, but we can't cure the common cold". He says he wants antibiotics and his old doc used to always give them to him. He is certain they will help.

 

Hebert: Don't give the meds (autonomy - he is rational and wants the meds, justice - poor allocation of resources to prescribe to someone who doesn't need, benefit - none, unless diagnosis is wrong, harm - potential for antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria being selected)

 

Good practice. Then Hebert tries to illustrate the importance of context.

 

Hebert: If it is late on a Friday and I am tired, and all my office staff are tired and heading for home, and the patient is adamant. I might give the meds.

 

Huh? Total garbage. The ethics have not changed yet the treatment has. Hebert would not give a treatment that has no chance of benefit and some chance of harm, unless the patient really wants it? Or if he is tired? Sorry, that's poor practice.

 

Anybody who read this scenario in Hebert's book want to back me up on this?

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The content is more or less the same, but he draws different conclusions for some of his cases.

 

E.g. at the very beginning of the book there is an introductory case about prescribing antibiotics against your best judgment to a frustrated patient on a Friday afternoon. He allows it in the first edition, but not the second.

 

If you are reading the book just to familiarize yourself with some cases and ethical terms, than either version goes. :)

 

Oh wow! Maybe ignore my last post. I didn't see this! I guess I was reading the old edition. Eureka! I am pretty proud of myself that I had a problem with that case. Haha. Hebert you old dog you! I can't believe I nailed that! I guess maybe there was some backlash that made its way back to the author so he changed it. Hilarious!

 

Either way, I guess his book is good for stimulating thought on some issues. But read the preface and live by it. Hebert explains that nobody, including Hebert himself, has all the solutions. Think critically while you read it and don't take his conclusions as doctrine.

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