Medical Issues:
The main medical issues in this novel are related to the suspicious deaths of individuals in contact with Dr. Moe Mathis and medical malpractice cases. First of all, Casey, Mathis’s young and healthy colt died of a sudden death. As Dr. Mathis performed an autopsy on him, he found that the horse ingested blue pills. He identified the pills as Coumadin, a blood thinner. This would explain the animal’s death due to an extensive hemorrhage. Hence, his death would probably be a premediated murder. Moreover, Mr. Swensen, a patient of Dr. Mathis whom was diagnosed with stage IV prostate cancer, shortly died after surgery of a cause identified as pulmonary embolus. It was found that he was misdiagnosed and did not have any cancer at all. This showed a medical
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The issue with this is that Mr. Swensen was not diabetic. How can a non-diabetic have an insulin shock? The only answer would be that he was administered insulin voluntarily and thus murdered by an individual with good medical knowledge, and access to medical facilities. Another medical mystery is related to Mr. Calley’s infection a few days after his penile prosthesis placement surgery that was also done by Dr. Mathis. Although infections are a common risk after surgeries, Moe was very meticulous in performing the surgery and made sure no such compromising mistakes were made. Upon inspection, he identified the infection cause to be due to a streptococcus bacterial species that contaminated one of the scalpels. This bacteria is commonly found in the human mouth and; therefore, a logical and likely cause would be someone spitting on the operating material. Who would do such a thing? And for what reasons? In addition, Dr. Ray Mosdell a close friend of Dr. Mathis who had Coronary Heart Disease and Serious Heart problems fell into a coma for unknown reasons. He then died shortly after of heart failure. There is a medical mystery surrounding what caused Dr. Mosdell’s coma, heart
A MP who preformed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation revived Dr. MacDonald. He told the police he and his wife stayed up drinking some orange liquor. She went to bed and he stayed up to finish watching the Johnny Carson show. MacDonald fell asleep on the sofa. He was awakened by screams of his wife and daughters. MacDonald claimed that three men standing over the sofa started to attack him with a bladed weapon and a baseball bat. He identified the person holding the bat as a black man with an army jacket with E-6 stripes and two white men, one carrying the bladed weapon. Before he was knocked unconscious he said that there was a lady in the back with a large floppy hat, holding a candle and was saying “acid is groovy” and “kill the pigs.”
At noon, while staff were having difficulty attempting to draw blood, Lewis became unresponsive. Helen called for help and Dr. Murray arrived to the room (Monk, 2002). A code was called and the on-call physician, Dr. Adamson, arrived and subsequently attempted to resuscitate Lewis for an hour before calling a time of death at 1:23pm (Kumar, 2008; Monk, 2002). An autopsy later revealed that Lewis Blackman died from internal bleeding caused by a perforated ulcer with close to three liters of blood and digestive fluid
This requires respect and compassion and prioritizing their comfort and values. I believe that as future physicians, we must be open to the different identities and perspectives of each individual in order to try to understand their beliefs and concerns. This level of empathy allows us to connect with patients on a deeper level and treat them with better quality care. Given this, I was immediately drawn to Georgetown’s Literature and Medicine program. Having taken a similarly named course during my undergraduate career, I recognize how literature, fiction or non-fiction, can create a compelling narrative that draws us into the mind of the writer and the characters. Medically related narratives raise issues that we will be confronted with later on in our careers, such as the respective responsibilities of the patient and physician, the role of medical ethics, and the value of compassion and empathy. This program will help me to become a more reflective and empathetic individual that places the beliefs and comfort of the patient at the forefront of my professional practice, and can competently cater to the needs of a diverse
... appears to be the story of a young medical student trying to find his way, but in reality, this story is a critique of the medical field and America in general. It is through Martin’s lack of interest in classes not related to research, and Gottlieb’s dissatisfaction in teaching, that Lewis poses the question should universities focus on research or teaching? Through Gottlieb’s experience at the Hunziker Company Lewis brings to light the argument concerned with how much control pharmaceutical companies and research laboratories should have over researchers. Martin seems to find his scientific paradise in the McGurk Institution, but it becomes clear that this institute preaches commercialism, not in profit but in prestige. The conclusion of the novel suggests the only way to truly escape commercialism is to cut all ties with the commercial world and find escape.
Diligence is a virtue. This is a theme Atul Gawande presents to the reader throughout Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance. In each story, Gawande provides insight on medical studies he has previously embarked upon. For example, in “The Mop-up” the author tells us about a time when he went to India to observe the efforts to eradicate polio. Gawande explains how he followed a supervisor around and how vaccinations were performed. Additionally, in another chapter he debates on whether physicians should take part in death sentences. Throughout his adventures Gawande provides numerous enriching personal accounts of controversial events and what it is like to be a doctor; each with diligence playing a key part.
The fact the patient died from internal bleeding shows there were damages. The patient’s death was directly linked to the time delay finding the proper diagnosis, and inability to find the extent of internal bleeding from which he was
Doctor William Chester Minor, a protagonist in The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester, was an unquestionable psychopath. His insanity has been confirmed by his deranged delusions and actions such as him murdering an innocent man and mutilating himself. Yet he still succeeded at being a highly praised surgeon and an intelligent scholar. These three facets of Minor’s life are strongly motivated by his personality. Minor’s story begins on the island of Ceylon, where he received an exceptional primary education, learned several indigenous languages, and became infatuated with the enticing local girls. For this reason, he was steered away from temptation and sent to America, by his parents. In the United States, Minor studied medicine at the prestigious Yale University and eventually joined the Union Army as a surgeon. Dr. Minor witnessed, while fighting in the Civil War, terrible events; the most traumatic occurrence being when he was forced to brand an Irish deserter. This experience sent Minor on a downward spiral. He began to illegally carry a gun, visit brothels, and show signs of paranoia; therefore, the doctor was discharged from the army and discreetly sent to an asylum. After his release, Minor traveled to London where he shot a man dead due to his paranoid delusions. Minor was sentenced an insane asylum and he spent the majority of the next thirty-eight years reading and secretly volunteering for the Oxford English Dictionary. James Murray, editor of the dictionary, eventually discovered Minor’s identity and they soon became close friends. Although Minor religiously read and acquired new knowledge, his mental condi...
Swango applied at another ambulance company and was surprisingly hired. He was given the title Emergency Medical Technician. While working for the new Ambulance company, Michael started to display some very weird behavior. He would often talk about his various scrap books that he had created over the past years, that had numerous bloody and gory accidents. This raised questions and concern from his fellow employees. Michael’s first known act of poisoning was when he brought in a box of donuts for his co-workers and everyone who ingested one became very sick. Having a good suspicion, Police searched his house and found hundreds and different poisons and poison paraphernalia. Just a year after receiving his medical license, Michael Swango was arrested of Battery for poisoning co-workers. He was sentenced to only five years in prison and lost his medical
...iately discovered and the patient was fine, but had there been proper communication between the healthcare staff, such blunders could have been avoided altogether (Dolanksy, 2013).
Almost doctors and physicians in the world have worked at a hospital, so they must know many patients’ circumstances. They have to do many medical treatments when the patients come to the emergency room. It looks like horror films with many torture scenes, and the patients have to pay for their pains. The doctors have to give the decisions for every circumstance, so they are very stressful. They just want to die instead of suffering those medical treatments. In that time, the patients’ family just believes in the doctors and tells them to do whatever they can, but the doctors just do something that 's possible. Almost patients have died after that expensive medical treatments, but the doctors still do those medical procedures. That doctors did not have enough confidence to tell the truth to the patients’ families. Other doctors have more confidence, so they explain the health condition to the patients’ families. One time, the author could not save his patient, and the patient had found another doctor to help her. That doctor decided to cut her legs, but the patient still died in fourteen days
In the case of Mr. B’s, an investigation into the events surrounding to and leading up to his untimely death would be required. Once the problem has been identified and described, data of events are collected and formatted into a timeline. From the events, any problems in the care of the patient which may have contributed to the end result are identified and determined whether they are causative. In appendix A, the timeline of the event is outlined.
Morace, Robert A. “Interpreter of Maladies: Stories.” Magill’s Literary Annual 2000 1999: 198. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Apr. 2010. .
Coffin, Bill. "Bad Medicine." National Underwriter / Life & Health Financial Services 115.4 (2011): 16. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
While one person lays with their wrists circumscribed to the worn leather of the gurney, another person holds two skin-piercing needles. The individual holding the needles is an inexperienced technician who obtains permission from the United States federal government to murder people. One needle is held as a precaution in case the pain is too visible to the viewers. Another dagger filled with a lethal dosage of chemicals is inserted into the vein that causes the person to stop breathing. When the cry of the heart rate monitor becomes monotone, the corrupt procedure is complete. Lying in the chair is a corpse when moments ago it was an individual who made one fatal mistake that will never get the chance to redeem (Ecenbarger). Although some people believe that the death
As the story begins, the unnamed doctor is introduced as one who appears to be strictly professional. “Aas often, in such cases, they weren’t telling me more than they had to, it was up to me to tell them; that’s why they were spending three dollars on me.” (par. 3) The doctor leaves the first impression that he is one that keeps his attention about the job and nothing out of the ordinary besides stating his impressions on the mother, father and the patient, Mathilda. Though he does manage to note that Mathilda has a fever. The doctor takes what he considers a “trial shot” and “point of departure” by inquiring what he suspects is a sore throat (par. 6). This point in the story, nothing remains out of the ordinary or questionable about the doctor’s methods, until the story further develops.