Ethical discussion help required!!!!

How do you ''know'' that the ethical answer is yes? I'm not asking you to respond to me, just suggesting that you make a list of the points that led you to that answer and contribute those thoughts to the discussion.

I think that no matter what you did to your body, you should still be treated as anyone else. I don't agree w/ people using iv drugs, but that doesn't mean that I don't feel that they shouldn't be treated for HIV or hep if they contract it.

We are all adults and we know what we are doing to our body. Do I think that they should quit smoking, YES. Do I think that they shouldn't receive the care they need because they chose to smoke, NO.

JMO

Erin

I think that no matter what you did to your body, you should still be treated as anyone else. I don't agree w/ people using iv drugs, but that doesn't mean that I don't feel that they shouldn't be treated for HIV or hep if they contract it.

We are all adults and we know what we are doing to our body. Do I think that they should quit smoking, YES. Do I think that they shouldn't receive the care they need because they chose to smoke, NO.

JMO

Erin

I totally agree with your point about treating people regardless of how they acquired their illness, but I have to take exception with the implication that cigarette smokers are in any way similar to IV drug users. Smoking is legal in this country (U.S.), the government even subsidizes tobacco farming. While it's a terribly addictive and debilitating habit, our society continues in many ways to condone it. It's not fair to then turn around and villify the victims much less deny them medical care.

I have to participate in a discussion about: In todays financial cllimate should people who DO NOT STOP smoking be offered cardiac surgery?

I understand ethics and NHS codes and principals say we are to treat everyone and anyone equally and none discriminantly but i need some more meat for my discussion and please I need your help.

very difficult

heres some more for you to put it all in perspective

should people who take drug overdoses and suffer renal failure be dialysed? (it may be their own fault)

should obese people have heart surgery/ free treatment for diabetes etc (being fat is their own fault)

should women who smoke/drink during pregancy be arrested for assault ( is this morally wrong? inflicting your habits on a unborn child))

should people who have become infected with hiv/ other stds be treated for free (as it may be their own fault )

basically the nhs has an ethos of free care for all, that is why it was formed in the first place you cant really exclude one group from treatment because of lifestyle but thats just my opinion

by the way im guilty of a few of the above myself...... i bet we all are

I think that no matter what you did to your body, you should still be treated as anyone else. I don't agree w/ people using iv drugs, but that doesn't mean that I don't feel that they shouldn't be treated for HIV or hep if they contract it.

We are all adults and we know what we are doing to our body. Do I think that they should quit smoking, YES. Do I think that they shouldn't receive the care they need because they chose to smoke, NO.

JMO

Erin

:yeahthat:

Yes

If you refuse to treat every patient who has contributed to their own illnesses, I think you would find hospitals much emptier than you do now.

I'm sorry that you even have to participate in such a discussion. The odds are stacked against you.

Should fat people who eat too much and dont excercise get offered cardiac surgery?

should diabetics who NEVER follow diet or check their blood levels get medical care when they have gangrenous toes?

Hi Sarah, I would assume that you are doing some sort of course, if you are looking for extra words / padding it may be useful for you to look at the question from a particular ethical perpective such as utilatarianism or deontology these could give you differing theoretical views for presenting a moral argument. I did an ethical module for my masters and looked at how appropraite emergency surgery is for an elderly patient with dementia who was otherwise mobile and well. I looked from the utilitarian perspective and it created some very contraversial arguments for and against which helped me to pad out my argument. I did a google search for moral theories and read Beaucham and Childress "principles of biomedical ethics." If you want any references PM me.