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11. Case: Truth-Telling
View Case Study: 11. Case: Truth-TellingThe patient is an 89-year-old gentleman with moderate dementia and a history of COPD, swallowing difficulties, a CVA, and recent aspiration. The investigation of his aspiration uncovered a lesion in his lung- the physicians felt it was likely to be cancerous. Thoracic surgery verified that it was lung cancer and a determination was made that…
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9. Case: Right to Treatment
View Case Study: 9. Case: Right to TreatmentA 54-year-old male patient has been treated for cancer for 2 years, but his illness has not responded to the major lines of treatment. He has been admitted to hospital with worsening nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and failure to thrive. A CT scan showed progression of disease as evidenced by new ascites along with…
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8. Case: Who Should Decide?
View Case Study: 8. Case: Who Should Decide?This case concerns a 35-year-old developmentally delayed female patient (functional age about 5 years old); her mother is her legal guardian. The patient tested positive for a BRCA gene mutation. Her mother is concerned that her daughter may develop ovarian cancer and wants her to have preventive surgery. Her physician does not believe this is…
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7. Case: Unknown Risks
View Case Study: 7. Case: Unknown RisksA person who was a first responder at an accident comes into the Emergency Room with blood/body fluid on himself. The patient who was involved in the accident was immediately sent to Halifax where he later passed away. His family had refused to allow his blood to be drawn for testing. The first responder is…
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5. Case: Caring for a “Difficult” Patient
View Case Study: 5. Case: Caring for a “Difficult” PatientA female patient in her mid-forties has been on the GI service for several months now due to severe Crohn’s Disease, which has left her with multiple draining abdominal fistuli. She has recently moved out of the province but her condition could not be treated adequately in the local hospital so she was transferred back…
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3. Case: Superbugs
View Case Study: 3. Case: SuperbugsJeannette Cutler is an 83-year old woman admitted to hospital after falling and breaking her arm. She reports that she fell because she passed out, and so further investigations are being conducted. She has mild dementia but is otherwise seemingly healthy. Upon admission, she screens positive for MRSA and is subject to strict isolation procedures…
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2. Case: Treatment and/or Termination? Tough Choices
View Case Study: 2. Case: Treatment and/or Termination? Tough ChoicesMelanie is a 21 year old who was recently involuntarily committed after she started a serious fight at a local shelter, thinking that one of the leaders was trying to steal her favourite T-shirt. Melanie has schizophrenia and is well-known to both the police and mental health care providers. She has been living on and…
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1. Case: Sensitive Information
View Case Study: 1. Case: Sensitive InformationJohn is a young man with a traumatic spinal cord injury that has resulted in paraplegia. He is leaving the rehab hospital on a weekend pass and has confided to his chaplain that he intends to kill himself. The chaplain calls the ethics service for assistance. Some Values and Ethics Issues to Consider
Case Repository
Category: Respect for Autonomy
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