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Biomedical subjects

G C Graber

Publications and source records attributed to G C Graber.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Allocation of critical care resources: entitlements, responsibilities, and benefits.

Determination of allocation of limited critical care resources appears to be an inevitable development. Criteria proposed to assign such limited resources among patients are not defined. It has been argued that allocation of critical care resources could be based on the principals of patient entitlements to health care, responsibilities of the physician to the critically ill patient, and beneficence. However, based on an analysis of the philosophical tenants of the Hippocratic Oath, there is little to support the concept of "sin" taxes or patient triage on the basis of judgment on the moral merit of the patient.

Critical Care↗
PubMed1982

Confidentially and the family physician.

The principle of confidentiality is one of the clearest and firmest rules of professional ethics. However, situations can arise in which confidentiality ought to be abridged in favor of other, weightier values. In the case of a teenager who asks a family physician to prescribe birth control pills for her without informing her parents, the best interests of the family as a unit may justify a certain aggressive but oblique strategy abridging confidentiality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Uterine distention facilitates the onset of maternal behavior in pseudopregnant but not in cycling rats.

The latency to onset of maternal behavior toward foster pups was examined in maternally-naive female rats treated either with uterine distention, a sham procedure, or no uterine manipulation. Uterine distention was achieved by intrauterine injection of hypertonic saline. The treatments were applied to either cycling, Day 10 pseudopregnant, or Day 11 pseudopregnant-decidualized virgins. The latency to onset of maternal behavior for both pseudopregnant groups was significantly shorter than that for the nonpseudopregnant group, when uterine distention was applied. The results suggest that uterine distention during pregnancy (during high progesterone level) may bring about both pregnancy termination (delivery) and the almost immediate maternal behavior seen at parturition, by the same hormonal mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

When Danny said no! Refusal of treatment by a patient of questionable competence.

The patient we call Danny was a mildly mentally retarded male in his mid-thirties who adamantly refused kidney dialysis when it was offered as the only therapeutic option for his progressive kidney failure. It was uncertain how fully Danny understood the implications of his refusal. To complicate the case still further, several "advocates" emerged to speak on Danny's behalf--each with a somewhat different interpretation of the situation and different sets of value presuppositions and ethical principles to apply to the choice. We chronicle the development of this situation through a series of scenes; and in each scene we also attempt to clarify the ethical and medico-legal issues involved at that point. Danny was finally permitted to make this decision for himself--though more by default than by an agreement by all parties to honor his autonomy. Our hope is that this presentation will lead to further discussion and clarification of these important issues.

Comprehension↗