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Book Review—Ethical dilemmas in pediatrics: A case study approach
THE
BOOK S H E L F
Andr6 D. Lascari, Editor
Book review Ethical dilemmas in pediatrics: A case study approach F o r m a n EN, Ladd RE. (city, state): University Press, 19xx. 513 pages. $24.94. This brief book is full of useful and thoughtful discussions centered on the major ethical topics in pediatrics. Organized around 24 cases, this volume is entertaining and thorough without being pedantic. The authors manage to make ethics accessible to the least philosophic reader. According to the authors, the book is designed as a teaching tool; indeed, the book is easily usable by those involved in ethics courses or case review. The cases are divided into six main subjects. Each section is followed by additional cases for discussion and a suggested reading list. The book is organized in a way that logically and intuitively flows from one ethical concept to the next. For instance, under the section "Telling the Troth--What Should I Say?," are four cases rifled: "Informing Parents," "Telling the Child," "When Doctors Disagree," and "Students, Residents, and Credibility." Each ' 'case" is really a short anecdote that stimulates important questions without extraneous information. In the case regarding student and resident credibility, for example, the following segment serves as a point of discussion: "Hi, I'm Faith Goodale. I am working with Dr. Creamer here in her office this month. She has asked me to see Henry and give him his weekly allergy shot; How has he been this week? . . . . My, you look awfully young. Are you a real doctor? Have you ever given allergy shots before?"
252
February 1996
This exchange, as well as the others, hit close to home. Most pediatricians easily identify with many, if not all, of these scenarios. The discussions that follow each case are clearly written. There is valuable integration of philosophic and medical concepts. While reading this book, I learned much about the roots of medical ethics in Western philosophical tradition (a subject on which I have to admit a significant lack of background). In addition to interesting treatments of the oft-discussed issues of parents' rights, limits of treatment at the end of life, euthanasia, and so on, are discussions slightly outside the usual bounds of ethics. Representative examples include: "The Virtuous Physician," "Loyalty to Parents," and "Teenage Suicide." In our own monthly pediatric ethics conference, I find that dealing with these "non-ethics" topics is a natural extension of discussing ethics. This book effectively brings up many such issues commonly raised by residents, nursing staff, and other attendings. I highly recommend this volume for use in the academic setting, both as an aid to teaching pediatric ethical concepts and as a tool to help in problem resolution. I consider it a rare fred, useful in clarifying difficult concepts with far-reaching consequences.
Walter E. Edge, MD Section of Pediatric Critical Care Department of Pediatrics Albany Medical College Albany, New York 12208
The Journal of Pediatrics
BOOK S H E L F
Andr6 D. Lascari, Editor
Book review Ethical dilemmas in pediatrics: A case study approach F o r m a n EN, Ladd RE. (city, state): University Press, 19xx. 513 pages. $24.94. This brief book is full of useful and thoughtful discussions centered on the major ethical topics in pediatrics. Organized around 24 cases, this volume is entertaining and thorough without being pedantic. The authors manage to make ethics accessible to the least philosophic reader. According to the authors, the book is designed as a teaching tool; indeed, the book is easily usable by those involved in ethics courses or case review. The cases are divided into six main subjects. Each section is followed by additional cases for discussion and a suggested reading list. The book is organized in a way that logically and intuitively flows from one ethical concept to the next. For instance, under the section "Telling the Troth--What Should I Say?," are four cases rifled: "Informing Parents," "Telling the Child," "When Doctors Disagree," and "Students, Residents, and Credibility." Each ' 'case" is really a short anecdote that stimulates important questions without extraneous information. In the case regarding student and resident credibility, for example, the following segment serves as a point of discussion: "Hi, I'm Faith Goodale. I am working with Dr. Creamer here in her office this month. She has asked me to see Henry and give him his weekly allergy shot; How has he been this week? . . . . My, you look awfully young. Are you a real doctor? Have you ever given allergy shots before?"
252
February 1996
This exchange, as well as the others, hit close to home. Most pediatricians easily identify with many, if not all, of these scenarios. The discussions that follow each case are clearly written. There is valuable integration of philosophic and medical concepts. While reading this book, I learned much about the roots of medical ethics in Western philosophical tradition (a subject on which I have to admit a significant lack of background). In addition to interesting treatments of the oft-discussed issues of parents' rights, limits of treatment at the end of life, euthanasia, and so on, are discussions slightly outside the usual bounds of ethics. Representative examples include: "The Virtuous Physician," "Loyalty to Parents," and "Teenage Suicide." In our own monthly pediatric ethics conference, I find that dealing with these "non-ethics" topics is a natural extension of discussing ethics. This book effectively brings up many such issues commonly raised by residents, nursing staff, and other attendings. I highly recommend this volume for use in the academic setting, both as an aid to teaching pediatric ethical concepts and as a tool to help in problem resolution. I consider it a rare fred, useful in clarifying difficult concepts with far-reaching consequences.
Walter E. Edge, MD Section of Pediatric Critical Care Department of Pediatrics Albany Medical College Albany, New York 12208
The Journal of Pediatrics