lifeboat ethics

The Doh! of Wellness: An analysis of the medical care given the Simpson family. . . .

jgmoore — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:13:07 +0000

Here is a link to an article in the Canadian Journal of Medicine on the kinds of medical care received by the Simpsons on their weekly show. . . . Essentially, the article compares the paternalist approach of Dr. Hibbert to the new-agey quackery of Dr. Nick Riviera. . . .

Cat predicts nursing home fatalities better than most staff. . . . . .

jgmoore — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 16:19:52 +0000

According to news reports, Oscar, who resides at a nursing home in Rhode Island, senses the oncoming death of a patient better than staff, and has correctly ‘predicted’ their death in time for officals to contact family members, who rush to the nursing home for their last vigil. Here is the link to the CNN video-clip: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/07/25/death.cat.ap/index.html

Missouri Man Claims He Was Denied Adoption Because of His Weight

nursebrig — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:52:51 +0000

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,290849,00.html

Now this is something I do not understand. If someone is willing to take care of an orphaned or abandoned child, why does their weight make a difference? And if you use the argument that their obesity might lead the child to obesity, why not do regular check ups or whatnot?

Several people in the hospital I work have adopted children from China. As most people know there are thousands of girl children who are abandoned due to China’s laws about the number of children you can have. Recently, the Chinese have made their laws stricter, which include a limit on the combined BMI of the adoptive parents. Basically, any couple who are the slightest overweight can no longer adopt a child from China.

Ethically, I don’t think that weight should be a problem in the adoption process. Crimial record, etc, yes, but weight? That doesn’t seem ethical to me.

Hospital that Said No to Organs Settles Lawsuit for $7.5 Million

nursebrig — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:44:15 +0000

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,290870,00.html

According to a recap within the article, the USCI hospital had 122 liver offers but only transplanted 12. According to hospital records, sometimes the reasons were that there was no surgeon available or other flimsy excuses in which the records were just made to say the people were too sick for the operation. The hospital itself blamed it on high staff turnover, lack of interest with the oversight committee, and their two surgeons lived 90 miles away.

My opinion: Seriously, this is outrageous. High staff turnover as a reason for letting 33 patients die – not to mention the others over the country who could have benefited from the willing donors. 7.5million doesn’t seem near enough. More like the facility needs to have their licensure taken away and some criminal charges filed against those who falsified records because there were no surgeons available. Its sickening.

michaelaw16 — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:09:12 +0000

Here is an article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076930/ that I found very interesting on cloning and the religious debates. This article Breaks down each religion and their take on cloning. Also with the Chritian faith it is even broken down into each denominational beliefs. The question at hand is cloning intervening in God’s plan. And this question is answered from a religious background (Christian, muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist.)

Push to achieve tied to suicide in Asian-American women by R.Brown

ruby brown — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:42:02 +0000

This article focuses on a woman drive to tie sucide and depression to Asia- American women. She was inspired by the suicide of her sister in the 1990. Asia women 15-24 have the highest rate of suicide than any other race. I didn’t know that!! She say that the pressure that is put on them to be overacheiver is overwhelming, parents are more strict on the girls than the boys ,and what they say goes. I believe this effect ethics because how is it ok for a boy to go out and party but unacceptable for the girl? How does society play a part in a low self-esteem women commiting suicide? And how much is the parent to blame? I believe that society paly a huge role formation of a woman becuase we are taught to dress a certain way and present ourselves in a ceratain way. If we don’t then we are labled as being different and unacceptable to society, and this is why things like this happen.

TB-infected flyer prepares for lung surgery by R.Brown

ruby brown — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:29:58 +0000

Okay…. I must be living in a tunnel because I didn’t know about the quy that abroaded the plane with TB. He had the upper lobe of his right lung remove to the diesease. How could you abroad a plane with innocent children, women, and men and have knowing you had such a terrible diesease. Plus, he was the first American Quaratine since 1963. What a world record! Nine people are seeking $1.4 million dollar in damges. I believe this will effect society more because people will be more afraid to get on airplanes not knowing what illness the person beside you might have. NOT COOL!!

Dr. Robot by Ruby Brown

ruby brown — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:31:49 +0000

here’s a article on CNN about robot surgery: this article showed a robotic claw removing a prostate and the doctors looked on ! Kinda Cool! One doctor believe that the surgery by the claw is safer and quicker than the human hand.

“Robotic removal of the prostate has been a “big home run” for Intuitive Surgical, said Tao Levy, analyst for Deutsche Bank North America. “By the end of the year, over half of the prostates that are going to be removed in the U.S. are going to be done robotically.” Will hopitals be willing to pay 1.5 million dollar for this new robotic claw? What kind of problems can we predict in the future? I can see something going wrong and who would we blame the people that invented the claw, the ones who bought it, or the claw itself? Medical Ethics will find someone to blame! LOL!

Would you give your kidney to a stranger?

nursebrig — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:32:48 +0000

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/06/01/living.donors/index.html?iref=newssearch”>Would you give your kidney to a stranger?

A group called “Jesus Christians” have donated 15 kidneys so far. I find it interesting that this article goes on to debate the issue of living donors, but it begins with implying that maybe this group (the Jesus Christians) have some sinister reason for donating the organs. However, they do have a good point that their leader might be using his influence to get the followers to donate kidneys.

I wonder if the “controversy” would be as large if suddenly the Catholic church ordered all followers to donate a kidney as penance.

“Pillow Angel”

nursebrig — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:32:27 +0000

Pillow Angel

In this article they discuss a 9 year old with static encephalopathy. Shes stuck at the developmental age of an infant. From operations in 2004 and 2007, the parents have completely sterilzed the child, removed her breast buds, and given her a high-dose estrogen treatment so that she will remain at her current small size.

The major debate in this case is if the parents have the right to force this on the child and if the hospitals should have perfomed the procedures.

On one hand I can see how it might make it easier on both the parents and the child – if she doesn’t get larger she might be at decreased risk for bedsores and whatnot, plus she won’t be traumatized by her menstrual period – but at the same time it seems unethical to perform a surgery like this on someone who cannot know what is going on.