What should the ed doctors do

Assignment Help Science

Reference no: EM133602562

Assignment:

John Welch is a 55 year-old homeless man who is a frequent patient at the Emergency Department (ED) at Mercy Hospital. He has diabetes which is poorly controlled because he does not regularly take his medicine as prescribed. He has been divorced for 8 years, is estranged from his two teenage daughters, is chronically depressed and has minimal financial resources and social supports.

Most recently he has been coming to the ED because of an infected which has progressed to involve his entire foot that has started to show signs of gangrene, most likely a consequence of his uncontrolled diabetes. Over the past several visits the doctors have prescribed various treatments, but his following through with taking medication, foot care and scheduled return visits has been spotty.

This time the ED doctors are very concerned that the problem has progressed to the point that an amputation of the foot was necessary in order to prevent further involvement of his leg or even a potential life-threatening situation. They informed John that he really should be admitted to the hospital immediately and scheduled for surgery John becomes very upset and agitated when he hears this, saying he will not agree to have his foot amputated and wants to go home. The ED doctors, as well as nurses who know him well from his many previous visits, tried to persuade him to agree with their recommendation. The requested help from the on-call psychiatrist who felt he was clinically depressed but competent and fully understood his situation and the potential consequences of his refusal.

The medical and nursing staff were very distressed at the thought of what will likely happen to John if they let him leave without treatment. The hospital administrator on call advised them that they should get John to sign the official "Discharge Against Medical Advice" form that would relieve them and the hospital of legal liability and that it his legal right to leave without treatment if he wishes. The ED doctors felt strongly that letting him leave without treatment would be causing him great harm and be a serious violation of their ethical duties.

Answer the following questions:

What should the ED doctors do? Why? State your response in one page or less, with reasons based on core ethical principles. Apply the analytical ethical framework for patient care decision-making.

Reference no: EM133602562

Questions Cloud

How long is the acute phase of a myocardial infarction : Explain the relationship between rheumatic fever and heart valve disease. How long is the acute phase of a myocardial infarction?

How might sophies visual difficulties affect her occupation : How might Sophie's visual difficulties affect her occupations? How might Sophie's difficulties interfere with her education?

What makes the botulinum toxin so dangerous : What makes the Botulinum toxin so dangerous? How are we able to use it safely? What other toxins do we use to benefit us?

Define the distribution channels used : Define the distribution channels used. Discuss the product in terms of synchronous vs asynchronous time utility trade-offs.

What should the ed doctors do : What should the ED doctors do? Why? State your response in one page or less, with reasons based on core ethical principles.

Differences between chemical and biological indicators : Explain the differences between Chemical and Biological Indicators. Which is a more reliable indicator for sterilization in medical device reprocessing?

Describe the environment : Describe the environment, the organization, and the department or program within the organization that is the basis for your project.

Evaluation results of a pregnancy intervention program : Findings of the evaluation results of a pregnancy intervention program to community stakeholders to gain their support to ensure the program's sustainability?

Identify ethical issue demonstrated in tnt television series : Using the ethical concepts introduced in show. Identify the ethical issues demonstrated in the TNT Television series Monday Mornings.

User Account

All Pages