Question

The treatment of patients with intravenous drug use (IVDU) has evolved to include a wide range of medications,psychiatric rehabilitation,and surgical interventions,especially for life threatening complications such as infective endocorditis (IE).These interventions remain at the discretion of physicians,particularly surgeons,whose treatment decisions are influenced by several medical factors,unfortunately not without bias,The stigma associated with substance use is prevalent,which leads to significant biases,even in the healthcare system.This bias is heightened when IVDU patients require repeat valve replacement surgeries for IE due to continued drug use..Patient who receive a valve replacement and continue to use to illicit drugs intravenously often return to their medical providers,months to a few years later,with a reinfection of their bioprosthetic valve; such patients require additional surgeries which are at the center of many ethical discussions due to high mortality rates, for many complex medical and social reasons,association with continues chemical dependency after surgical interventions.This examines the ethic of repeat heart valve replacement surgery for patient who are struggling with addiction.Considerations of justice,the fiduciary therapeutic relationship,and guiding ethical principles justify medically beneficial repeat heart valve replacement surgeries for IVDU populations.

Question:   Should repeat IVDU (Intravenous Drug Use) be able to get a second heart valve replacement surgery, Agree or Disagree.Is there a ethical principle of nursing that influences your opinion,if so ,which principle.Or your personal morals and values influence your opinion

Answer 1

A patient who is IVDU if offered a second valve replacement surgery the risk for death is about 6 to 54% higher compared to others, having a very poor quality of life.In the initial period these patients where not offered treatment due to this. Besides this they have the right to live at any grounds which has lead to ethical analysis .In simple equal treatment has to be offered to the patient at any cause. This makes one to agree for a repeat second valve replacement in IVDU patients.

The ethical principle which influence the opinion is the principle of justice. This refers to providing equal treatment to all.

The person values which can influence in agreeing this opinion is that intentionally causing no harm to a patient.