10-31-2010, 07:40 AM
here is an easy to make up for those hard one
Mr. White is a 60-year-old man with severe chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease. He is a widower and has no children.
He is admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and respiratory
failure promptly develops. You tell him that he will die without
intubation and mechanical ventilation. He does not have an
advance directive, but he does have decision-making capacity.
He tells you that he does not want mechanical ventilation,
stating he is “at peace with God’s will.” He understands the
consequences of his refusal, including death.
Which of the following
statements is true about the patient’s decision?
a. It is ethically and legally permissible for a physician to override
the patient’s decision and intubate and mechanically
ventilate him in order to keep him alive.
b. Because Mr. White doesn’t have an advance directive, a court
must affirm his decision.
c. His decision is inconsistent with standard medical practice
and, hence, honoring his refusal of intubation and mechanical
ventilation would be grounds for malpractice.
d. Patients with decision-making capacity have the right to refuse
life-sustaining treatments even if such refusals result in death.
e. In cases such as these, hospital chaplains should be asked to
convince patients to change their minds.
Mr. White is a 60-year-old man with severe chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease. He is a widower and has no children.
He is admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and respiratory
failure promptly develops. You tell him that he will die without
intubation and mechanical ventilation. He does not have an
advance directive, but he does have decision-making capacity.
He tells you that he does not want mechanical ventilation,
stating he is “at peace with God’s will.” He understands the
consequences of his refusal, including death.
Which of the following
statements is true about the patient’s decision?
a. It is ethically and legally permissible for a physician to override
the patient’s decision and intubate and mechanically
ventilate him in order to keep him alive.
b. Because Mr. White doesn’t have an advance directive, a court
must affirm his decision.
c. His decision is inconsistent with standard medical practice
and, hence, honoring his refusal of intubation and mechanical
ventilation would be grounds for malpractice.
d. Patients with decision-making capacity have the right to refuse
life-sustaining treatments even if such refusals result in death.
e. In cases such as these, hospital chaplains should be asked to
convince patients to change their minds.