Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Disclosure of harmful mistakes to patients and their families can be daunting for physicians, who tend to weigh their ethical obligations to inform against possible underlying fears of retaliation, perceived incompetence, or shame.When a patient is both incompetent and unrepresented, documentation, disclosure, and rectification of errors are particularly important to consider. CaseAn 82-year-old man is brought to the emergency department with altered mental status, fever, and cough after being found on the street.He cannot be identified and is presumed to be homeless.He is admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for severe pneumonia with developing acute respiratory distress syndrome, and he requires intubation.After his admission, he has a cardiac arrest.In responding to his cardiac arrest, a communication error transpires.
Source: The AMA Journal of Ethic
Author: Ryan G. Chiu
Language: English
Subfield: Emergency Medical Services
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2953701846