blog ten

Is it Ethical for Veterinarians to Recommend Pet Foods?

This article discussed how most Veterinarian Clinic's across the country offer dog and cat food for sale. Some only offer prescription foods specifically for pets needing a diet to address a disease; however, many others offer for sale maintenance dog and cat foods to their clients.
Do veterinarians know enough about pet food to ethically recommend a particular brand of food to their clients?
Many pet owners seek pet food advice from veterinarians because after all they are the experts, or are they? I found this article similar to the argument weather doctors should "recommend" or "sell" vitamins that they believe would work to patients. i believe many doctors and veterinarians prey on there vulnerable patients who believe they are the expert.

blog Nine

Parliament has been asked to change the Human Organ Transplant Act (Hota) which will punish organ trading syndicates and middlemen more severely. They will be fined up to $100,000 or jailed up to 10 years or both which is 10 times the current penalties.
In Singapore's first-ever organ trading conviction in September this year, Wang Chin Sing, 44, who was fingered as the middleman was jailed a year and two months.
He has appealed against his sentence and is currently out on a $60,000 bail.

The new penalties are among several changes to the law being put forward to make it possible for people who donate their kidneys to be compensated by the recipient or a voluntary organisation.

Two other changes include removing the age limit for cadaveric donation, now set at 60 years, and allowing paired donations.

I believe these changes are a good idea. If you are in need of an organ and wait on a waiting list for an appropriate time then you should be next in line; there should be no negotiation between middle men.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_302153.html

Doctors discover organ donor is not brain dead

The Chennai Hospital in India, received a call from a private hospital in Namakkal stating that the family of a 59-year old accident victim was willing to donate his organs for transplant on Saturday. Arrangements were made in Chennai to do multiple organ harvesting. However , the second mandatory inspection found that the man was not brain dead, and his eyeballs were responding to light. The authorities, suddenly, went into caution mode. Later it was found out that when the patient arrived at the hospital no neurosurgeon had declared the patient brain dead. I found this article scary to think that my organs could be cut out of my body before i was even brain dead. It goes to show the lack of efficacy in the medical world.

Bl0g sEveN

Illinois Patient Sues Chicago Surgeon for Medical Malpractice Over Injuries and Failure to Obtain Informed Consent

In 2006 a women went into surgery to repair a leaky heart valve. Doctor Patrick McCarthy of Chicago was the patients doctor who preformed the surgery and also implanted a heart device that he failed to mention he was the inventor of the new device. The patient is suing Dr. McCarhy for medical malpractice. Vlahoulis, the patient, experiences inflammation after the surgery and had to undergo a second surgery to have the device removed. She says that if she had known the device was experimental, she never would have agreed to have it placed inside her. McCarthy denies that the device was experimental because an older model was available commercially over a month before he performed the surgery on the 41-year-old patient. Northwest Memorial Hospital claims it obtained the necessary consent from Vlahoulis for the implant procedure.
Vlahoulis, who filed her Illinois personal injury lawsuit in Cook County earlier this year, is seeking over $50,000 in damages from McCarthy. McCarthy says that he doesn’t believe that the ring is the cause of Vlahoulis’s latest health issues.

Failure to Obtain Informed Consent
Physicians, dentists, surgeons, and other medical provider must obtain a patient’s informed consent before conducting a procedure. An “informed consent” form notes any potential complications and risks that could arise from the treatment or procedure. The medical provider should also discuss the potential risks with the patient prior to the procedure.

http://www.chicagoinjuryattorneyblog.com/2008/10/illinois_patient_sues_chicago.html

bl0g sIx

Tissue Can Be Taken from Mentally Incapacitated to Make Clones without Consent under British Bill
By Hilary White

In London, an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill now allows tissue to be taken from people who lack the “mental capacity” and to be given to used to make a clone. This amendment allows tissue to be removed from children, those in comas, or those with dementia who are incapable of understanding what is going on. This amendment also allows any tissue that has been previously donated by donors who can no longer be traced to be used as well to make clones. Some agree that this bill allows unethical activities which include the creation of human/animal hybrid clones. This bill is raising lots of controversy between Pro-life campaigners and those behind the bill. I believe that this bill will cause a lot of conflict in London. Embryos which were donated by donors who can not be traced should not be used to make clones becuase that was not the purpose of their donation.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/oct/08102107.html

p0st fIvE::A Prisoner's Right: Force-Feeding A Starving Inmate Violates Medical Ethics

The article i read entitled: A Prisoner's Right: Force-Feeding A Starving Inmate Violates Medical Ethics, refers to William Coleman a 48 year old man serving an eight yer sentence for rape at the Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers Connecticut. Somers has gone on a hunger strike claiming that he was unjustly convicted. Since his protest, Coleman has lost more than 100 pounds in the past year. Fearing for his life, prison officials received a court order which allowed them to force feed Coleman food and water intravenously. I believe that competent prisoners should not be forced fed against there own will. Not to mention that the use of intravenous needles should only be supervised under doctors and nurses and who is to know if that is the case in these prisons. All competent adults are allowed to deny medical treatment if they choose to, so Coleman should be allowed to refuse being force fed because it is his right.

British Medical Ethics Expert:Dementia Sufferers Have A ‘Duty To Die’

The article entitled "British Medical Ethics Expert:Dementia Sufferers Have A ‘Duty To Die’ discusses how patients who have dementia should have the right to die through euthanasia because of the strain they put on their families and public services. This author of the article believes that “If you’re demented, you’re wasting people’s lives - your family’s lives - and you’re wasting the resources of the National Health Service.....there’s nothing wrong with feeling you ought to do so for the sake of others as well as yourself.” The author also tires to persuade people to believe their opinion by saying that the British National Health Service will be overwhelmed by these patients who have dementia and therefore it is your (the poeples) civic duty to consider euthanasia. This case, like many we have studeid rasies the question weather we should be able to pick to die. I don't think patients who have dementia should be able to pick to die because when you have demntia you are not thinking straight. Although you may be in pain and wasting others time, it is still your right as a human to continue to live no matter the state you are in. Over all, people should not choose when they want to die and how, i think it is morally incorrect.

p0st ThrEE:: 'The Doctors' talk show adds depth to medical drama

With the growing popularity of shows such as "ER", "House" and "Grey's Anatomy" one may ask themselves if thier medical substance is accurate and or full of any content what so ever. Information about health and medicine are shown on these fictional TV shows but sometimes these shows focus more on the dramatic appeal instead of what is real. These shows create a false illusion about the medical world. Considering how popular "Greys Anatomy"is, i can only hope that the audience does not believe eveyrthing that is dramatically portrayed on the shoew. With that being said, CBS wanted to correct this misconception of the fictional medical world which is why they premiered thier newest show "The Doctors" on September 8th. This show unlike ER and Greys anatomy raises the bar and delivers accurate health infromation to the viewers. I believe this is a great idea becuase the world needs to focus on real issues such as eating small, frequent melas instead of few larger meals and how increasing lean body mass will rev metabolism which are all discused on the show. Over all i just worry that the audience that watch these shows and buy into all of the story lines and medical content. CBS is doing a good thing by preimiering this show which will hopefully spark the medical knowledge of many viewers.

Bl0g NumBer Tw0_Doctors prohibited from endorsing healthcare products

This article titled Doctors prohibited from endorsing healthcare products states that in Manila, Philippines starting next month, doctors will no longer be allowed to endorse or try to sell any personal care products or food supplemtnts. This will include no personal hygiene products, food supplements such as vitamins, medicines to help blood circulation or any other suppliment. The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) has revised its Code of Ethics to prohibit this probelm. This problem was recently addressed becuase of the growing number of doctors who were endorsing and promoting supplements that had no effects. It is wrong for doctors to endorse and try to sell products becuase what they say can GREATLY affect society! After all, they are doctors, and the people we seek for answers. Doctors and proffesionals are the people we trust who should not be trying to make a few extra dollars off of poor innocent people.

First_Blog

In response to: India’s Premier Medical Institution in the Dock over Infant Deaths

Reading this article is rather troubling considering over 40 babies have died in the past two years in India due to new medicines and therapies. The infants for these trials were "randomly selected" despite the fact that some are claiming that the doctors picked infants from poor families. I believe the allegations that infants were chosen based on wealth and family status. The Dr. in charge of these studies claims that the deaths were not caused due to unsafe drugs or negligent practices and that the babies died because they were suffering from high risk and serious disease conditions. If this is true, then the doctors should not have been using the infants who had diseases or other high risk conditions. Just because an infant is sick or at risk does not give anyone the right to test that baby with new medicines or treat it any differently than other infants. The only special treatment that the sick infants should be receiving is treatment that is already know to help cure and help aid the infants back to 100% health.