Comments on: Treating Your Friends

By: Idetrorce

Idetrorce — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 09:28:38 +0000

very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce

By: Darlene

Darlene — Sun, 28 Aug 2005 07:08:07 +0000

I am a dialysis patient, and have had a few ‘disagreements’ with my charge nurse as to what a DNR code is. She insisted that if you show up at dialysis and lose conciousness, there is ‘presumed consent’ for them to do anything necessary to bring you back. There’s an unwritten rule that ‘nobody dies in my dialysis unit’– I think that makes a DNR worthless. It’s almost like they’re saying that if you elect to have dialysis, you agree to whatever they feel like doing to you to achieve a ‘good outcome’.

By: geena

geena — Sat, 27 Nov 2004 23:41:50 +0000

Anne: It was pretty late in the evening; besides, he was pretty much in the hospital so that we could provide comfort care in the form of Morphine or other medications that would make him comfortable.

By: Anne

Anne — Wed, 17 Nov 2004 16:09:20 +0000

This is odd. If the patient had “adamantly refused all forms of treatment”, he shouldn’t have been in the hospital. Once it’s clear that he doesn’t want any medical intervention, he should have been discharged home to die the way he wished. If he refused not only medical intervention to find and actively treat his disease, but even basic stop gap measures like transfusion, he basically simply wanted to die.

So why was he in the hospital? I think the doctor and the nurses should have made arrangements to discharge him asap, instead of quarelling with each other. I can completely understand the discomfiture of the Doc. Who on earth would want a patient of his sitting there on the floor bleeding out in front of his eyes?

By: Carrie

Carrie — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 21:08:11 +0000

Holy God, this is terrifying. I applaud the nurses on this one for standing their ground. It can’t have been easy.

By: Alwin Hawkins

Alwin Hawkins — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 10:17:04 +0000

Remind me some time to tell you the tale of the respected and well-like doc who was damn near killed by the community of physicians who surrounded him, all afraid to “hurt” him as he slowly spiraled down the tube.

While your enemies may hurt you, your friends can kill you. Friends don’t let friends practice medicine on each other.

By: Da Goddess

Da Goddess — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 04:11:31 +0000

Having recently moved to a critical care environment with adult patients, I fully understand what you were faced with.

It seems very simple to suggest that these doctors/friends remove themselves from providing care for these patients. But, it’s the right thing to do.

By: suzie

suzie — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 11:05:53 +0000

this is a great story, and one worth spreading around. as a physician in a very small town i can’t help but become close to people. i have 4 generations of some families, and after years i can’t help but get involved with them. eventually some people become more like friends than patients. when their time comes, it’s too hard to be objective- but there’s no one else. i do the best i can. i try to think how i would want to be treated myself. but sometimes, i need an outside voice of reason like yours.

By: Second Career Nurse

Second Career Nurse — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 08:28:49 +0000

This is really sad. I’m impressed with your charge nurse,though. She was a good advocate for both the nurses and the patients.

At first while I was reading this, I thought maybe the Dr. was sticking closely to his Hippocratic oath or was worried about malpractice, but I think you hit the nail on the head. Physicians should not treat their friends. Of course, how does one refuse without looking or feeling as if they are uncaring? Perhaps some larger code of ethics would give them the freedom and relief from that practice.