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Clinical Ethics Case Studies

Bioethics Forum Essay
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Should Life-Saving Medicine Be Continued for an Unhoused Patient with an Addiction?

Ms. B is a 45-year-old African American woman who lives in a shelter. She also has a heroin addiction and has end-stage heart failure. She was admitted to the hospital...
Read Should Life-Saving Medicine Be Continued for an Unhoused Patient with an Addiction?
Bioethics Forum Essay
Clinical Case Studies card

Should an Incarcerated Patient Get an Advanced Heart Therapy?

Case Narrative W is a 32-year-old man with heart failure. Prior to diagnosis he was relatively healthy and physically fit. A trial of medication was not effective. Some members of...
Read Should an Incarcerated Patient Get an Advanced Heart Therapy?
Bioethics Forum Essay
Clinical Case Studies card

Should He Have a Vasectomy?

Whether and under what conditions would it be legal and ethical to proceed with a vasectomy requested by D’s parents with D’s assent but without his full understanding, considering the history of forced sterilization of individuals with intellectual disabilities in the United States.
Read Should He Have a Vasectomy?
Bioethics Forum Essay
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Balancing a Patient’s Autonomy Against Misinformation

With ventilator support, Ms. J would have a 50% chance of making a full recovery. Without it she would almost certainly die. That notwithstanding, Ms. J declined to consent to the ventilator.
Read Balancing a Patient’s Autonomy Against Misinformation
Bioethics Forum Essay
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Involuntary Withdrawal: A Bridge Too Far?

Despite its intended use as a treatment of last resort, some patients can remain on ECMO for weeks or months. And some are awake, alert, and capable of medical decision-making. RD was one such patient.
Read Involuntary Withdrawal: A Bridge Too Far?
Bioethics Forum Essay

Should An Unrepresented, Incapacitated Patient Be Treated Over Her Objection?

This is the second clinical ethics case study in our series. It concerns a patient with delusions and no surrogate decision-maker who refuses all treatment, even after a game-changing finding.
Read Should An Unrepresented, Incapacitated Patient Be Treated Over Her Objection?
Bioethics Forum Essay

Should He Have Brain Surgery?

J is a 21-year-old male with multiple disabilities. He has a brain tumor. Would he benefit enough from brain surgery?
Read Should He Have Brain Surgery?
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