Comments on: Who Should Doctors Let Die In A Pandemic?

Report: The Very Elderly, Seriously Hurt Trauma Victims Among Those Who Wouldn't Be Treated

[rational_1]

HEALTH COMMUNITY
CURE SOMETHING ANYTHING!
DONT TREAT IT CURE IT!
PROVE TO AMERICA YOU ARE WORTH THE BILLIONS WE SPEND ON YOU EACH YEAR!
AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!
Posted by bluestardad at 07:24 AM : May 06, 2008

Ya, that''s right - we''re no better off than in the 18th century with respect to health care. The antibiotics, surgical procedures, anesthesia, antipsychotics, antiarrhythmics, beta blockers, diuretics, antihypertensives, analgesics, tumour suppressors, anti-Parkinsons drugs - none of these have helped us in the slightest. I suggest you stop availing yourself of these fraudulent treatments in the future and save yourself a lot of money.

[rational_1]

Preparedness - Activities and measures taken in advance to ensure effective response to the impact of dangerous events.
Posted by mascarponi at 03:31 AM : May 06, 2008

But preparedness for what? The next hurricane that hits the coast and which coast? Maybe preparedness in case of a pandemic? Earthquake in SF? Perhaps preparedness in case some terrorist organization lets loose a dirty nuke in a city or contaminates a water supply? Preparedness against a 10 mile asteroid hitting the earth?

There are lots of things to possibly be prepared for (I''ve just listed a few). What exactly will you prepare for, why that, and where is the money coming from? What about all the other things we don''t have the money (or will) to prepare for?

[lawyertom1]

These types of lists are built on stereotypes, which is always unfortunate. For example, I know some 85+ yr. olds that could run circles around obese 20-somethings whose life expectancy may actually be less than their elders. Admittedly they are among the few, but that is what happens with lists -- they make grevious assumptions. Obviously, it depends also on what type of crisis we are facing. If we have had a megaquake and there are practically no facilities available, then most of the categories may make sense in the cold hearted, but realistic light of triage. But, if all we are dealing with is a flu pandemic, then some effort at flexibility may be called for. It would be nice to know the context of the categories, and not have the media report only who is on the list without stating what type of disaster is being contemplated in this abstract exercise.

[rational_1]

They invented Aids, CURE IT.
Posted by drinuk at 08:26 AM : May 06, 2008

Reverend Wright, nice of you to drop by. I thought you''d be too busy trying to torpedo Obama''s campaign to have time to share your opinions with us here on this board, but we welcome even the wacky here at CBS News.

[watcher269-2009]

Who Should Doctors Let Die In A Pandemic?

I say the Politicians!

Thats who!

[rational_1]

So, let''''s try this. You have an elderly man or woman in their 70''''s who may live a very healthy life all the way to 101. You have a young mother, who may die in 3 months due to cancer. How do you know who is going to live longer? Who are you to decide whose life is more meaningful? Who are YOU to play the ''''we decide'''' game. Who are YOU, to play God?
Posted by Katia327 at 07:48 AM : May 06, 2008

In the middle of a pandemic, with patients flowing in from all directions, do you think physicians will have time to do full work-ups to see who might have underlying cancer or some other disease? Get real. They basically will go by the averages - on average a young mother will live longer than a grandmother and be more likely to pull through (the elderly and most young are usually the most susceptible). Who are the doctors to play God? They wouldn''t be playing God, they''d be trying their best to save as many as possible. What would you prefer them to do - sit on their hands and do nothing because they can''t decide who to save? So if you don''t like the idea of triage, what do you propose instead? Seriously - the pandemic is underway, the patients rolling in are starting to overwhelm your abilities to deal with them and you''re the hospital administrator - the doctors are looking to you for orders. What will you say to them?

[drinuk]

bluestardad, absolutely right.

They invented Aids, CURE IT.

They encourage death from Cancer, CURE IT.

They are causing Autism with MMR, STOP IT.

They have now invented Morgellons Disease. TOO LATE.

Big Pharma, The Majority of the Medical Profession, Crooked Administrators and Politicians are the Real Terrorists, evil to the core, sucking up our dollars for self gratification and personal greed.

There will be another World War, we will be fighting Them !

[eggy1620]

The ignorant American public is losing sight of the fact that the death rate was, is, and always will be 100%.

[katia327]

so if i had a modern day equivalent to galileo ... who made many of his greatest contributions in and around the ripe old age of seventy (70) ... of which many serve as the foundations of modern physics ... and i have a poor migrant mother of 23 w/ plenty of fertility left in her ... we should save the mother?
Posted by bobnjersey at 08:38 PM : May 05, 2008

If we''''re in the middle of a pandemic doctors won''''t have time to have little chats with their patients to try to assess their worth to society. You make an interesting and perhaps valid point, but also one that will not be important on a practical level.
Posted by rational_1
--------------------
So, let''s try this. You have an elderly man or woman in their 70''s who may live a very healthy life all the way to 101. You have a young mother, who may die in 3 months due to cancer. How do you know who is going to live longer? Who are you to decide whose life is more meaningful? Who are YOU to play the ''we decide'' game. Who are YOU, to play God?

This article and their ''decision'' is disgusting. Also, I am seeing some cold, clinical, calculating posts here. When push comes to shove, first come, first serve. Not, oh, YOU look old...go away, you''re on the DISCARD list.

[bluestardad]

HEALTH COMMUNITY

CURE SOMETHING ANYTHING!

DONT TREAT IT CURE IT!

PROVE TO AMERICA YOU ARE WORTH THE BILLIONS WE SPEND ON YOU EACH YEAR!

AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!

[grammawhamma]

In the past 29 years as a nurse, I have witnessed the following scene "numerous" times:

An ill, elderly, and lucid patient (who makes their wishes known that they are ready to die and request comfort measures only) and then their children and/or grandkids over ride their wishes and demand "everything" be done for mom/dad gramma/grampa. The kids/grandkids are not being kind, usually the elderly patient is put through much misery and suffering by doing "everything" and dies in the end anyway. (A living will can be over ridden by family members.)

I recommend everyone have a living will...but also to discuss their wishes with their loved ones before the living will needs to be pulled out of their files.

Most elderly would give their life to save a young person''s life.

[grammawhamma]

The choice for the medical professionals is easy. They look at your drivers license. If you are a donor, you get to die and some rich person gets your organs. The doctors get to buy a new Mercedes. Every body know this.
Posted by thgdriver at 06:42 PM : May 05, 2008
---------

No wonder there is a shortage of organ donors....if there are others that have the same mentality as you do!

[jsilver2th]

Stories like this promote hording and fear.

[flagship-usa]

I''m a fundamentalist christain, republican, heterosexual and Caucasian...now if that doesn''t get me a shot in the @ss - nothing will.

[barbaraf4]

During the 1950s and 1960s, hospitals had committees to decide which patients would be allowed to enter the kidney dailysis programs. There was such a shortage of the machines that admission was based on merit. Mainly they looked at what your future contribution to society would be.

[thisandthat1]

This all sounds good on paper ....but you can bet that during battle conditions, if this ever happens, it will be those with the most money that end up being saved and getting the shot! Those with no money, no matter how healthy they are, will be left out, as usual.

[haoli25]

Line up the lawyers and politicians FIRST, then after that trash is cleared away, deal with the normal people.

[jsilver2th]

My advice: Take lots of cash to the hospital- you''ll need some for admissions and parking and for the cops and then save the big bucks for the docs- or some barter they would like- like your virgin children or cocaine. Real Estate deeds may be handy- get a supply of blanks and keep them ready.

[sistatee-2009]

How many rich people died on the Titanic?

[nothappyatall]

# People older than 85.

# Those with severe trauma, which could include critical injuries from car crashes and shootings.

# Severely burned patients older than 60.

# Those with severe mental impairment, which could include advanced Alzheimer''s disease.

# Those with a severe chronic disease, such as advanced heart failure, lung disease or poorly controlled diabetes.

# Religious rightwing fanatics.

# Christians
# Rick Miesse