Ethical Dimensions of Health Care - Essay Example

AGREE, to perform the operation, promising to administer no transfusion, even if necessary to save the womans life. With this restricted procedure, there is an 85% chance that you will watch her die on the operating table, knowing you might save her by doing something you said you would not do. My decision is based on two universal principles of Biomedical Ethics. First is the principle of the veracity and is supported by the more important principle of informed consent. The principle of veracity binds both of us in an association of truth of which in this case, the patient tells the doctor that her belief system allows no blood transfusion of which the doctor agreed to respect that faith and will do no transfusion as agreed in accordance to the patient’s belief system.

The risks are known and the agreement was made. The principle of informed consent bind me to the agreement made based on the disclosed information of the patient and informing her of the risk. The risk may be greater but the alternative also has risk. The patient is specific and she knows what she would go through. In this case where risk cannot be discounted, the most prudent and humane thing to do is to follow the patient’s request. The doctor can dissuade informing her of the risks involved, but in the end, it is the patient’s decision that must prevail and respected.

My conscience will haunt me if I will not follow our agreement and did transfusion which violated her religious faith and then she died. On the other hand, the patient will also not like and will likely sue me with the danger of losing my license if I did the transfusion and she lived. She will also be haunted by her conscience because her faith was violated and my purpose as a physician is defeated because she did not like the way I did the treatment.