Is "your only hope" medical treatment choice really a choice?
case_report · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 25260475.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.jvs.2014.07.032.
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Abstract
An elderly gentleman, from Scandinavia, Mr. K. R. Plunk, with a soon-to-be lethal disease, has come to see you because you are the world's expert in complex aneurysm surgery and his is a case for the books. He has multiple comorbidities; the most concerning is his cardiopulmonary functioning. You have only operated on a few patients who are at this level of risk. He has been told repeatedly you are his only hope, which is literally true. A cure would pair one of the "biggest operations" with one of the frailest patients. You have been on an invincible roll and have decided to give it a shot, if he agrees. What is the most ethical informed consent in this case?
Medical subject headings
- Choice Behavior
- Decision Making
- Informed Consent
- Palliative Care