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

[fo_sho_yo]

So are you saying that the government should spend tax dollars on contingencies for every potential national disaster? In order to be truly prepared for a national pandemic of epic proportions we would have to train/hire thousands of new doctors and build hundreds of new clinics- the majority of which would sit empty and unused until the dreaded disease comes. IF it comes. Good luck fronting that bill.

[jw218389]

They forgot the Rich over the poor....

The rich always do better in epidemics than the poor - always.

Strange eh??

[flagship-usa]

...and the first to go will be the ones on SS.

[rational_1]

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.

[rational_1]

Nice post Susan. People will always come up with far fetched situations, but the reality is, these decision will be made by less intelegent people than bobnjersy, and they will need some guidelines.
Posted by kaviz at 08:56 PM : May 05, 2008

As much as I agree with medical triage and the need for it, I suspect these rules, even if implemented, will go right out the window if all he!! breaks loose. The medical system will be overwhelmed and no one will have time to read through the rules. Physicians will largely operate (pun intended) at will but I suspect they will pretty closely adhere to the common sense guidelines set out in this article. Like others have already posted, do you give the last 10 shots of an antibiotic to an old man who might make it or to 10 kids who almost certainly will? This isn''t rocket science.

[randynason]

If doctors were to decide who is to die in a pandemic, they should make an effort to save those who have something to offer humanity. That leaves out the Bush and Cheney families and most of the Republicans, I fear. Oh, well- that''s the way the ''ole ball bounces, I guess.

[flagship-usa]

I don''t like the sound of it. Does this mean that all treatment will be refused? Sounds like selective genocide - in the wrong hand, this could be a welcomed tool.

[bobnjersey]

[but the reality is, these decision will be made by less intelegent people than bobnjersy, and they will need some guidelines.]
[Posted by kaviz at 08:56 PM : May 05, 2008]

are you speaking of yourself here ... thanks for contributing.

[kaviz]

Tibu, I hear you and agree. I may only be 48 young, but I agree with you and would want the same should they have to choose.But I hope it never comes to that for either of us.

[tibu987]

I''m 72 years old, male, and for better or worse, I have lived my life. I absolutely agree that any life saving efforts should first be given to the young.
I would refuse to be given any life saving efforts if I knew that there were young people in the need of same.

[flagship-usa]

They have a eloquent way of dealing with our problems.

[kaviz]

Nice posts antonio and dog, way to contribute.

[dog7771]

What will they do when it is a member of their own family, a girl/boyfriend, or they themselves are being triaged? I don''t think they will follow their own rules. HAHAHAHA!

[antoniof123]

I love idiot neo cons they have the mentality of idiots or morons.

The doctors will do the best that they can no matter what my wife is one and she would work until she can no longer stand. But hey she is not a neo con idiot hel.l bent on making a lot of money she does it becuase she want to help.

Sorry neo cons but your stupidy is always showing you are getting desperate.

[kaviz]

Nice post Susan. People will always come up with far fetched situations, but the reality is, these decision will be made by less intelegent people than bobnjersy, and they will need some guidelines.

[bobnjersey]

[This, to me, seems like a list pretty much codifying what we already tend to do. If you have a choice between saving one, and only one, between a young mother, and an old grandmother, you save the young mother - because she''''s got more of her life left yet to live.]
[Posted by SusanHelit at 08:26 PM : May 05, 2008]

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?

[susanhelit]

I said it before - there''s nothing in these rules about wealth - quite the contrary. And yes, when you have a choice between saving one person''s life, or two people''s life, there''s only one choice a doctor should ever make.

[susanhelit]

We don''t like to think about this one - do we. When you have two dying patients, and you can only save one of the two - how do you choose? Sorry guys - this isn''t the movies, this isn''t fiction - we cannot always save both. There are times - fortunately fewer and farer between now than in the past - where a doctor, a hospital, has to choose who to save.

This, to me, seems like a list pretty much codifying what we already tend to do. If you have a choice between saving one, and only one, between a young mother, and an old grandmother, you save the young mother - because she''s got more of her life left yet to live. If you have a choice between giving the last shot of penacillin to a severely injured person who may not make it even with the penacillin, or a healthy person who will definitely survive with the penacillin - you go with the healthy person.

Simple goal - to save as many lives as possible, to give as many years to the people as possible. Tough choices. But in a hospital, they cannot hide from this choice, or pretend it will never happen to us. They have to be ready now, just in case the worst happens tomorrow.

[bobnjersey]

[Yeah, the poor and disadvantaged also suffer disproportionately from having to drive $hitty cars. Give me a break. If you want a better standard of living, make more money. If you can''''t make more money...tough. That''''s life.]
[Posted by infe5 at 04:53 PM : May 05, 2008]

so life is about how much money you make?

[Michael Arnold]

Hmm, sounds like theres going to be a little "culling" of the population at some point in the near future. I''m sure the rich will be protected. They always are.