Medical Ethics

31. A 16-year-old man with severe head injury was admitted to a small hospital. The patient needs neurosurgical intervention which is available in a nearby university hospital. Hospital refused to accept a patient who has no medical insurance.
    Answer: university hospital must accept the patient.
    
    
32. A newborn male is diagnosed with anencephaly. His 1-year-old sibling needs a kidney. His parents requested the physician to remove the kidney from the anencephalic child and to transplant that kidney in the 1-year-old sibling. What should a physician do?
    Answer: surgeon should perform the kidney transplantation.
    
    
33. A 17-year-old woman slashed her wrists and wanted to die. She was unconscious and was brought to the ER. What should a physician do? (Important)
    Answer: physician should take care of the patient. Psychiatric consultation and social worker evaluation are indicated. A suicide attempt is very often a ‘cry for help’.
    
    
34. A 1-day-old infant was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The patient is stabilized with the use of prostaglandin. Physician discussed this case in detail with the parents. What should the parents decide in this situation?
    Answer: the parents can choose a staged surgical repair of the heart, a final heart transplantation if the organ is available, or allow the infant to die.
    
    
35. A 13-year-old boy with suspected meningitis refuses therapy. His parents also support that decision because they are supposed to go on vacation the following day. What should a physician do in this situation? (Important)
    Answer: the patient should be admitted and treated in the hospital. If they refuse therapy, legal action should be taken.
    
    
36. A 2-year-old girl is admitted with the diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. Her mother has a psychiatric problem. Her mother is not capable of giving the consent. Her father died one year ago. What should a surgeon do in this situation?
    Answer: legal steps may be taken to provide a surrogate decision-maker.
    
    
37. A 17-year-old boy came to a surgeon for bilateral vasectomy. He is the father of one child and does not want to have any more children. He does not want to tell his girlfriend and parents? He lives with his parents. What should a surgeon do in this situation? (Important)
    Answer: surgeon should not perform bilateral vasectomy and should offer him less radical alternatives. Please remember, a mature minor may not comprehend the implications of this procedure.
    
    
38. A 16-year-old girl came to a doctor for bilateral tubal ligations. She is a mother of one child and does not to have any more children. She does not want to tell her boyfriend and parents. She lives with her parents. What should a doctor do in this situation? (Important)
    Answer: obgyn doctor should not perform bilateral tubal ligations and should offer her less radical alternatives.
    
    
39. A 16-year-old boy wants to donate one of his kidneys to his friend who is suffering from ESRD (end stage renal disease). The boy’s parents did not agree with his decision. What should a physician do in this situation? (Important)
    Answer: the physician cannot accept his kidney. However, he can donate one of his kidneys if, his parents agree.
    
    
40. A 15-year-old boy wants to participate in a research study. He told his parents who did not agree. He lives with his parents. Can this boy participate in the research study?
    Answer: no. The boy needs consent from his parents to participate in a research study.