Chest
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Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia (PAS/E) has been increasingly discussed and debated in the public arena, including in professional medical organizations. However, the medical student perspective on the debate has essentially been absent. We present a medical student perspective on the PAS/E debate as future doctors and those about to enter the profession. We argue that PAS/E is not in line with the core principles of medicine and that the focus should be rather on providing high-quality end-of-life and palliative care.
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Case Reports
Pulmonary Nodules in an Adolescent Female Presented With Abdominal Pain, Fatigue, and Weight Loss.
A 14-year-old girl initially presented to a pediatric gastroenterology office with a 1-month history of right upper quadrant abdominal pain, which radiated to the right shoulder and back. Her pain was worse after heavy meals and with deep breaths. She reported anorexia, fatigue, dyspnea while playing soccer, and a 5-pound weight loss. She denied any fevers, cough, or changes in her bowel habits.
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A previously healthy 62-year-old woman was transferred to the ICU from the medical ward with acute bronchospastic respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. Four weeks before, the patient was vacationing in Arizona and acquired a mildly productive cough as well as mild dyspnea. She presented to an urgent care facility and was diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia. ⋯ The patient was admitted to the medical ward, and treatment for unresolved pneumonia was begun with levofloxacin, an inhaled short-acting beta agonist, and oral prednisone. Despite this treatment, the patient experienced severe respiratory distress with audible wheezing as well as increased work of breathing. She was intubated for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and transferred to the ICU.