Medical Case Scenario Mr. Jones
According to the given scenario Mr. Jones is an 82 y/o patient who has been bought to the hospital by his daughter. He is suffering from respiratory distress and several medical conditions. While doctors evaluate Mr. Jones they found he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and that he has gangrene on his right foot. Prompt intervention was needed since Mr. Jones is a diabetic patient. Doctors agree that Mr. Jones must undergo to a below the knee amputation procedure to save his live. Mr. Jones refused the surgery by saying he must die with his body intact. Contrary to Mr. Jones opinion, his daughter wants that doctors perform the procedure. She told doctors that they had to do everything for his father so that she can take him back home;
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The first legal issue in this case is patient consent. To perform any medical intervention or move ahead with a given treatment doctors need the authorization of the patient or his legal guardian. If doctors perform the treatment without this consent they could be charged for battery or negligence. In this case, Mr. Jones verbalized he do not want any intervention and that he wants his body intact then doctors cannot undertake the proposed treatment. However, Mr. Jones daughter disagrees. She wants the surgery because she fears an investigation for elder-neglect if her father dies due to lack of treatment. In the meantime, doctors cannot perform any treatment without the patient …show more content…
He thinks the treatment can kill him since he wants his body intact, but gangrene can kill him as well. The first ethical dilemma faced by doctors in this case is whether to treat the patient without his consent which will have legal implications or leave him on his condition, which is ethically wrong. In addition to doctors, Mr. Jones daughter is facing a huge ethical dilemma since she is unable to decide for her father for assuring him an adequate treatment. It is for sure that Mr. Jones daughter cannot take the decision on his behalf, unless Mr. Jones is declared incompetent through a capacity
The first legal issue in this case is patient consent. To perform any medical intervention or move ahead with a given treatment doctors need the authorization of the patient or his legal guardian. If doctors perform the treatment without this consent they could be charged for battery or negligence. In this case, Mr. Jones verbalized he do not want any intervention and that he wants his body intact then doctors cannot undertake the proposed treatment. However, Mr. Jones daughter disagrees. She wants the surgery because she fears an investigation for elder-neglect if her father dies due to lack of treatment. In the meantime, doctors cannot perform any treatment without the patient …show more content…
He thinks the treatment can kill him since he wants his body intact, but gangrene can kill him as well. The first ethical dilemma faced by doctors in this case is whether to treat the patient without his consent which will have legal implications or leave him on his condition, which is ethically wrong. In addition to doctors, Mr. Jones daughter is facing a huge ethical dilemma since she is unable to decide for her father for assuring him an adequate treatment. It is for sure that Mr. Jones daughter cannot take the decision on his behalf, unless Mr. Jones is declared incompetent through a capacity