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Reply for Group 2 Post

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Reply for Group 2 Post

I acknowledge justice, non-maleficence, autonomy, and beneficence as the primary

principles necessary for the analysis of the case vignette. According to Currow et al. (2020),

cancer patients and their families prefer hospice care in their last living days as it improves the

quality of care. The post is clear that 27% of persons under the implantable cardioverter-

defibrillator (ICD) receive shocks (Goldstein et al., 2004). Thus, the patient’s request for her

cardiologist to disconnect the ICD may save her from the shocks, precisely in her last month of

life. Additionally, the hospice program offers other crucial services such as offering the patient

seamless care and supporting related families to continue with life after the death of their loved

ones. I approve the sense of turning off the ICD at the patient’s request as the move has more

benefits compared to demerits, precisely when the caregiver offers all other services after

approving the will of the 72-year-old woman.

I ascertain that the principles of medical ethics align with supporting the woman to have

the ICD turned off at the hospice program. According to the post, autonomy dictates that a

patient has the right to self-determination and may refuse treatment. So, the specialists should

respect the patient’s plea and disconnect the ICD. Also, I agree that the physician would be

ethically correct to deactivate the ICD through beneficence (Bester, 2020). The main concern

under beneficence is the confirmation that the patient is fit to make personal decisions regarding

their health. The cardiologist may reject the woman’s offer if they detect manipulative reasoning.

Further, non-maleficence ensures the care provider does not harm the patient. Hence, turning off

the ICD save the patient from shocks in her last living days. I find it just to follow the patient’s

request depending on the post’s information, my knowledge in the field, and additional

information from reliable sources.

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References

Bester, J. C. (2020). Beneficence, interests, and wellbeing in medicine: What it means to provide

benefit to patients. The American Journal of Bioethics, 20(3), 53-62.

https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2020.1714793

Currow, D. C., Agar, M. R., & Phillips, J. L. (2020). Role of hospice care at the end of life for

people with cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 38(9), 937-943.

https://ascopubs.org/doi/pdfdirect/10.1200/JCO.18.02235

Goldstein, N. E., Lampert, R., Bradley, E., Lynn, J., & Krumholz, H. M. (2004). Management of

implantable cardioverter defibrillators in end-of-life care. Annals of Internal Medicine,

141(11), 835. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-11-200412070-00006