Ethical scenarios.

[Tempest Storm]

Allright, so I was watching E.R., and I was stoned, and I picked up a couple things from the show. So I'm just gonna throw out some scenarios, and you just answer them. I'm also pretty high while I'm writing this. Hell, when ain't I high!

1.) You're a baby birth doctor at a hospital. This retarded couple comes in, the mother's in labor. You deliver the baby, but you have a choice to make. Both parents are retarded and though well-intentioned, might not be able to care for an infant. So do you either let them leave with the kid, knowing that it might not survive, or you can call child services and have the baby taken away, and most likely never see their parents again. Or do you go out of your way to help someone, and bring them into your home (you're a doctor, remember), and help them raise the kid?

2.) You're a doctor at a hospital (see the ER theme goin), and you get a patient who was shot by the police because he was running from a rape crime. Guy's a serial rapist. You're operating on him, and he loses blood, and you need to give him more, or he'll die But you only have a few bags left. Do use those bags on the rapist, or save them incase some kid in a car wreck comes in, or an old guy that got shot?

 

[Galatia]

Doctor's are supposed to save lives, no matter if their patients are rapists or serial killers or innocent little kids.

As for the first question... It is not up to the baby birth doctor to decide who is going to keep the baby. The only help a doctor can provide without intruding into other people's lives (and making other people's choices) is to offer his/hers assistance in raising the kid.

Since there is no law against retarded couples having kids, it is highly hypocritical for any doctor, law official or the State to start taking actions after the birth.

 

[Hot Action Akule]

You took an oath. So stick to it.

 

[Steven22]

Its true. Doctor's are supposed to save lives no matter who it is they are treating.
Just one question about point 2. How did the doctor know he is a serial raptist beforehand? Did the man say why? I know if you are shot and go to the hospital you are supposed how you got wounded by a gun, but you don't really have to say you were running from the police because you are a rapist.
As for the baby born from the retarded couple, on an ethical stance I wouldn't intrude on it. But I would suggest to the couple if they wanted to get help for the child in any event that they couldn't take care of him or her. If they declined, I'd accept and move on to the next patient.

 

[OMGLOLWTFPWN]

The second problem is the police's problem, if he got shot he will be in the hospital for a while and they will find him anyway. As for the baby there isn't really anything you can do about it, just hope that it will be ok, which it most likely will because the couple probably has people who help them out sometimes if they have a big enough mental handicap that you are worried about the child's life.

 

[amrtin77]

id just let the retards go with their baby, and id fix up the rapist (unless their was actually a kid or something in the next room that also needed the blood.. id go with the other person over the rapist, and have the rapist wait for blood to come in ^^)

but id help the rapist and just tell the police where he was so that they could pick him up or whatever if they wanted.

 

[Sakuhta]

Originally posted by Spike~
1.) You're a baby birth doctor at a hospital. This retarded couple comes in, the mother's in labor. You deliver the baby, but you have a choice to make. Both parents are retarded and though well-intentioned, might not be able to care for an infant. So do you either let them leave with the kid, knowing that it might not survive, or you can call child services and have the baby taken away, and most likely never see their parents again. Or do you go out of your way to help someone, and bring them into your home (you're a doctor, remember), and help them raise the kid?

If you do a little research, you will find that hospitals are required to do certain reports on babies. One way or another Social Services will find out about it. So don't go out of your way to hide it.

Originally posted by Spike~
2.) You're a doctor at a hospital (see the ER theme goin), and you get a patient who was shot by the police because he was running from a rape crime. Guy's a serial rapist. You're operating on him, and he loses blood, and you need to give him more, or he'll die But you only have a few bags left. Do use those bags on the rapist, or save them incase some kid in a car wreck comes in, or an old guy that got shot?

It's a hospital. You will always have enough blood for patiens. Or when you even look remotely low the superintendent will call the blood bank.

1) If he ran from the cops and wasn't caught you'd be arrested for malpractice if you operated without notifying the Police about something like someone getting shot.

2) If the Police brought him in because he was shot, you'd be arrested if you didn't save him.

But if it's the moral standpoint your looking for... I'd have to go with saving him... cause you can't be positive another person is going to come in injured... but you know you have this dieng patient.

 

[bamthedoc]

I only have one question. The answers are actually obvious to me, understanding the hypocritical oath and such as I, well, want to be a doctor

1) You report to Child Services. Your licence can be revoked otherwise.
2) You help the rapist. Your license can be revoked otherwise.

In the first scenario, you asked if the child and parents should be taken in by the doctor stating "you're a doctor, remember?" It's prejudicial to say that all doctors are rich. In fact, most are just barely getting buy as middle-class citizens thanks to all that schooling they have to pay back and paying massive bills for keeping their practice open, license renewed, required magazine subcriptions, and federal and state taxes for business and personal reasons. Only a select few can actually live the lap of luxury, and that's mostly because they come from money.

My question is this. Why do you assume that all doctors are rich with such an invalid and false statement?

 

[pyro_junky]

for the first one i wouldnt intrude on their life. i may offer them a number the ycan call if they need help raising the baby.

the secoudn one. as a doctor its your job to save lifes so give the rapiest the blood. but if the rapiest and teh kid in a car crash come in at teh same time i would give the blood to the kid because its not his fault he is hurt.

 

[bamthedoc]

Actually, there is a reason to give the kid the blood over the rapist in the medical community. The reason is because, theoretically, the child has "more" life ahead of him or her. All the ethical decisions, for the most part, have already been made and are in a massive manual

 

[jd-inflames]

Originally posted by Spike~
Allright, so I was watching E.R., and I was stoned, and I picked up a couple things from the show. So I'm just gonna throw out some scenarios, and you just answer them. I'm also pretty high while I'm writing this. Hell, when ain't I high!

Perhaps you shouldn't do drugs...Trust me, I know from experience, they are HORRIBLE!

1.) You're a baby birth doctor at a hospital. This retarded couple comes in, the mother's in labor. You deliver the baby, but you have a choice to make. Both parents are retarded and though well-intentioned, might not be able to care for an infant. So do you either let them leave with the kid, knowing that it might not survive, or you can call child services and have the baby taken away, and most likely never see their parents again. Or do you go out of your way to help someone, and bring them into your home (you're a doctor, remember), and help them raise the kid?

Unlike what most of you said, I would give child services a call. Like you have said before, Doctors are supposed to save lives right? Well, why not prevent something dangerous? I would just hope that there would be some sort of way that the child could be raised by the parents under close supervision.

2.) You're a doctor at a hospital (see the ER theme goin), and you get a patient who was shot by the police because he was running from a rape crime. Guy's a serial rapist. You're operating on him, and he loses blood, and you need to give him more, or he'll die But you only have a few bags left. Do use those bags on the rapist, or save them incase some kid in a car wreck comes in, or an old guy that got shot?

If the situation came up where I didn't have enough blood to help anyone else, that would bring up a tough decision. If there were someone else waiting in line for blood, then of course my morals would put that blood straight into the other patients arm. BUT, if there wasn't anyone else, I wouldn't risk killing the rapist just because there is a potential patient that will be in need. You have to do what you have to do. Just allowing someone to die is bad for your reputation as a doctor, I don't care if the guy is a mass murderer.

 

[Above_70Percent]

First off, if this really is in AS imma go shoot myself.

To answer the questions:
1. What gives you the right to say whether or not that the couple is deserving enough to have a cihld?

2. I totally agree with jd-inflames about if there weren't another important person there I would give it to him. But who wouldn't even if it was a regular guy. Like if there was just a regular guy vs a young 4 year old girl who would you give blood to? I think even the regular guy dying if he had a self-conciense would give it to the 4 year old girl.