During my heme onc rotation, I had a patient with Hodgkin’s lymphoma who arrived to the ED feeling faint. She had a hemoglobin of 3.4, likely chronic from her malignancy. Apparently, she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma a year ago, and had refused treatment and had opted to take herbal remedies instead. This was […]
Search Results for: Autonomy and Beneficence
Understanding Mortality
In high school, I worked as a lifeguard. I still remember my first rescue—the suddenness of the event, the chill of the water over my head, and the lingering adrenaline refusing to abate after we reached the pool deck. After the event, my mind whirred on with an anxious fury. What if he had aspirated? […]
Autonomy vs. Beneficence
Doctors abide by a code of ethics. This code includes Autonomy, Beneficence, Justice and Non-Malfeasance. The code is not always black and white. The law and competing values fill our decisions with shades of grey. One of the first grey areas that comes up is the battle between Autonomy and Beneficence. The customer is always […]
