Cases Flashcards
Christiaan Barnard
-Christiaan Barnard was the first doctor to carry out a heart transplant. He had practiced on dogs and had done a great deal of research. He waited for the heart to stop beating before transplanting and therefore the heart was taken from a deceased human donor.
Christiaan Barnard: Fidelity, teleology, deontology, utilitarianism, locust of authority, informed consent, veracity
- Fidelity- The doctor was not loyal to his patient in that he was prioritizing his own success rather than the patients
- Veracity- The doctor was not honest about the success rate of the procedure
- Teleology- The doctor was more concerned about the outcome (being the first successful doctor to perform a heart transplant) than the patients safety
- Informed consent- Because the doctor fabricated the numbers for success rate, the patient did not have a full understanding of the procedure
- *Locust of Authority-
- *Deontology-
- *Utilitarianism-
Barney Clark
The first artificial heart transplant. The patient had signed the consent without understanding. He asked for the heart to be taken out and was refused. He survived for three months.
Barney Clark: autonomy, veracity, informed consent
- Autonomy- The patient has the right to make choices about his health care at any point of time. He had the right to withdraw his consent at any point.
- Veracity- The doctors were not truthful about the procedure and consequences
- Informed consent- The patient was not fully aware of all the risks of the procedure before consenting
Baby fae
Baby Fae was given a heart transplant with a baboon’s heart. The procedure was rushed (performed two days after approval) and not all information was obtained (the hearts were not matches). The family was not provided with all the information necessary in order to give consent.
Baby fae: informed consent, teleology, fidelity
- Informed consent- The risks of the procedure were not explained to baby faes family and therefore they could not give their informed consent
- Teleology- the procedure was rushed because the doctor was only concerned with his own success in the procedure
- Fidelity- the doctor was not faithful to his patient in that he was only concerned about his own benefit
Dr. Kevorkian
Dr. Kevorkian administered a lethal injection to his patient that was suffering. He was known to give patients their right to die through lethal injection (physician assisted suicide)
Dr. Kevorkian: non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy, informed consent, fidelity, veracity, ethical dilemma, locus of authority, moral distress
- Non-maleficence- The doctor did cause harm to his patient in that he assisted in their suicides
- Beneficence- The doctor believed that he was taking away their pain and was acting in the best interest of the patient
- Autonomy- The patient has the right to make their own decisions about their life and the doctor is fighting for what they want
- *Informed consent- The patient knew the risks of the procedures (death)
- Fidelity- The doctor was being faithful to the patient’s wishes and let them die with dignity
- Veracity- The doctor was truthful about the procedure
- Ethical dilemma- decision to live or die
- Locus of authority- Does the patient get to decide to die naturally or end their suffering
- Moral distress- physician assisted suicide can conflict with morals
Assisted suicide: Karen Quinlan
Karen was in a vegetative state due to drugs and alcohol. The parents decided to pull the plug, but doctors refused. She was eventually taken off.
assisted suicide: karen quinlan: paternalism, autonomy, teleology, deontology
- Paternalism- The doctors denied her right to remove life support and took control of the situation
- Autonomy- The family had no power to make decisions regarding Karen’s care
- Teleology- The parents were focused on the outcome of ending their daughters suffering
- Deontology- The health care team was focused on prolonging her life
assisted suicide: terri shiavo
Terri had anorexia which led to heart attack and anoxia -> leading to brain damage and coma. Terris husband wanted to remove her feeding tube based off private conversations regarding Terris wishes; however, her parents didn’t even believe she was in a vegetative state. Terris tube was eventually removed after intense fighting.
assisted suicide: terri shiavo: locus of authority
-Locus of Authority- Who has the right to make decisions about Terris care? -> her parents or her husband who knows what she would want
assisted suicide: grace lee
Grace was put on a ventilator and was tube fed due to a progressing brain tumor. Her parents wanted to keep her alive for religious reasons even though Grace was competent enough to make her own decisions. She eventually changed her mind and decided to live.
assisted suicide: grace lee: autonomy, locus of authority
- Autonomy- Grace had no autonomy over her own situation at first
- Locus of authority- Grace’s parents were making decisions about her care even though grace was competent enough to make her own decisions
Jahi McMath
Jahi had her tonsils removed and was declared brain dead after a mishap. California did not want to use resources on her because she was brain dead. New Jersey took her in.