Medical Ethics
A competent adult refuses a life-saving blood transfusion for religious reasons. What should you do?
Respect autonomy after confirming informed decision-making capacity. If the case is dire enough, consult a medical ethics board.
Normal adult resting heart rate range.
60-100 bpm
A researcher wants to test a new drug but minimizes discussion of side effects during consent to improve enrollment. Is this ethical?
No. Full disclosure of risks is required for valid informed consent.
A patient in the ICU previously documented a DNR order. During cardiac arrest, family members demand full resuscitation and threaten legal action. Should the team proceed with CPR?
No. A valid DNR should be honored.
How many full ticks does omicron have?
Zero
A patient asks their doctor, “If you were me, what would you do?” about a serious treatment decision. Should the doctor give a personal opinion?
Yes, carefully. The doctor can guide the patient while still respecting their autonomy and values.
A patient has a heart rate of 45 beats per minute and feels lightheaded. What is this condition called?
Bradycardia
A patient enrolled in a clinical trial begins experiencing severe side effects but wants to continue for financial reasons. What should investigators do?
Protect participant welfare; remove from study if risks outweigh benefits.
A patient with fluctuating delirium refuses a feeding tube one morning but agrees to it later in the day. Should the refusal be honored?
Assess decision-making capacity at the time of refusal. If capacity is impaired, defer to another decision-making capacity.
Name 2 of the chapter founders who are alumni.
Joel Jacob, Alekhya Sangubattla, Shannon Sunilmon, Gloria Geevarghese, Naomi Kurian, Mohima Aich, Rhea Thakur, Alyssa Mathew, Gelila Aklilu
A patient insists on receiving antibiotics for a cold even after being told it is viral. Should the physician prescribe them just to maintain patient satisfaction?
No. Prescribing unnecessary treatment can cause harm and contributes to antibiotic resistance.
A patient presents with wheezing and difficulty breathing after exposure to peanuts. What emergency condition may be occurring?
Anaphylaxis
A life-saving drug trial shows early strong results. Researchers consider stopping the trial early to give the drug to all participants rather than continuing placebo controls. Should the trial be stopped?
Yes, if evidence is strong enough; continuing placebo when benefit is clear may be unethical.
A patient with ALS requests withdrawal of a ventilator while cognitively intact. Is honoring this request ethically defensible?
Yes. Competent patients have the right to refuse or withdraw life-sustaining treatment.
List all chapter families:
DEMolishers, Avant Garde, F.C.U.K, Invictus, Seele, Elite, Sankofa, Genesis, Souljas, Bigg Tigg
A family asks a doctor not to tell a patient about their serious diagnosis because they believe it will destroy the patient’s hope. Should the doctor honor the family’s request?
Generally no. Patients usually have the right to know their own diagnosis and make informed decisions.
A patient’s kidneys fail to adequately filter waste, leading to buildup of toxins in the blood. What general treatment may be required in severe cases?
Dialysis.
A participant in a long-term health study moves away and becomes unreachable, but previously consented data could still significantly strengthen findings. Should researchers continue using the existing data?
Yes, if original consent allowed continued use; the value of previously agreed participation can justify use when privacy is protected.
An ICU team believes further treatment is medically futile, but the family insists on “everything” despite zero chance of recovery. Can treatment be withdrawn?
Yes, after review and ethics consultation, clinicians are not obligated to provide medically futile care.
What is the third sentence of the creed with punctuation?
I promise to uphold the goals and ideals that my forefathers set before me.
A patient with severe illness chooses a treatment plan that will likely shorten their life but allow them to enjoy their remaining time more fully. The medical team believes a different treatment would extend life but reduce quality of life. Should the team support the patient’s choice?
Yes. When a competent patient understands the trade-offs, their values and goals should guide care decisions.
A patient with severe trauma is losing blood rapidly. Their blood pressure drops, heart rate rises, and organs begin to receive inadequate perfusion. What critical condition is developing?
Hypovolemic Shock
A researcher studying sleep patterns secretly records ambient audio in participants’ dorm rooms to capture more accurate behavioral data. Participants consented to being observed but were not told about audio recording. Should the data be used?
Remember that multiple "blinds" can be used in studies.
No. Lack of full transparency undermines meaningful consent even if data is valuable. Blinds are used to remove bias for experiments, not when it comes to the types of data collected from research participants.
A patient with advanced dementia appears content but previously documented a wish to avoid life-prolonging treatment in severe cognitive decline. The current condition is not immediately life-threatening. Should care be limited?
Requires substituted judgment and best interest analysis; prior wishes hold strong weight.
List at least 3 founders of DEM
Terri Broklawski, Sherine Banton, Wendy Cooper, Keri Weintraub, Wendy Goldstein, Marianna Strakhan, Teri Broklawski, Debbie Amster, and Ellen Hoffman