scholarly journals “ 美人魚”男嬰事件之我見

Author(s):  
Yingmei SUN

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.2006 年底湖南省兒童醫院救治了一名“美人魚”男嬰。儘管醫務人員日夜奮戰,但這個不幸的嬰兒仍然不治夭折,醫院為此付出巨大的代價。本文從儒家觀點出發,就此事件闡述個人見解:不贊成醫院實施原本就希望渺茫的搶救行為,主張為“美人魚”男嬰提供臨終關懷照護直至其安逸、無痛苦地離去,將節省的醫療衞生資源,用於更多能夠治癒患者的有效治療上;針對“中國實際每年的出生缺陷患兒大約有50 萬-60 萬” 1 的嚴酷現實,闡明人與自然和諧相處的必要性與緊迫性。“Mermaid” syndrome is a rare medical condition in which an infant is born with his/her legs fused together from trunk to heels.“ Mermaid” syndrome is almost always fatal within days of birth due to serious defects in vital organs and complications associated with abnormal kidney and bladder development. In 2006 a male baby with a“ mermaid” syndrome was born in the Hunan Provincial Children’s Hospital in central China. Doctors tried to keep the baby alive with all kinds of means, even though the baby had a slim chance to survive. The case gives rise to a heated debate concerning the bioethical issues such as the quality of life, right to life, health disparities, the distribution of medical resources, and the practice of euthanasia.In this paper, I shall discuss the ethical dilemma involved in the case of the“ Mermaid Baby.” I ask the question whether it can be justified to save the life of the little baby, acknowledging that he could die at any time and the quality of his life was low even if he could survive. Some media criticized the hospital for making a scene while other blame that the hospital abused the medical resources that could be better used for saving life of many other babies who badly need medical treatment and have better chances to survive. Meanwhile, I shall turn to traditional moral systems, particularly Confucianism for alternative solutions. The paper concludes that environmental protection is the real issue given that there are about fifty to sixty thousand babies with birth defects every year in China.DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 31 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 925-939
Author(s):  
Hui Wu ◽  
Huijun Li ◽  
Haibin Li ◽  
Yu Ding ◽  
Chongjian Wang ◽  
...  

BMC Urology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Yin Yow ◽  
John Jeh Lung Tiong ◽  
Chun-Wai Mai ◽  
Esther van der Werf ◽  
Zulkifli Md Zainuddin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Nocturia is widely prevalent condition with detrimental effects on quality of life and general health. In Malaysia, there is a lack of up-to-date prevalence study on nocturia. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of nocturia and awareness pertaining to nocturia among Malaysian adults. Methods A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted among Malaysian adults aged ≥ 18 years old. The data was collected by mixed mode self-administered questionnaire from May 2019 to September 2019. Nocturia was defined as one or more voids at night. Results There were a total of 4616 respondents with 74.5% of response rate. The overall prevalence of nocturia among Malaysian adults was found to be 57.3%. In multivariate analysis, respondents aged 31–40 (1.91 [1.52–2.40]) or > 60 years old (2.03 [1.48–2.71]), and those who presented with hypertension (2.84 [2.28–3.53]), diabetes mellitus (1.78 [1.42–2.25]), renal disease (3.58 [1.93–6.63]) or overactive bladder (1.61 [1.10–2.35]) were associated with higher prevalence of nocturia. A significantly lower disease prevalence (p < 0.05) was noted among those aged 41–50 (0.73 [0.59–0.91]), male (0.78 [0.69–0.88]) and Chinese (0.47 [0.30–0.74]) or Indian (0.34 [0.21–0.54]) ethnicities. A total of 37.3% of respondents with nocturia reported that they faced sleeping difficulty about half the time or more after waking up in the middle of night. Those who had ≥ 2 voids per night experienced significantly higher mean bother score than those who had 1 void per night (p < 0.001). Approximately half (56.7%) of all respondents were not aware that night time urination is a medical condition. Only 25.2% of respondents with nocturia had sought medical attention for their nocturia. Conclusions The prevalence of nocturia among Malaysian adults is high and strongly influenced by age, sex, race and comorbidities. However, the general awareness pertaining to nocturia being a health issue remains low among Malaysians. The findings also highlighted the impact of nocturia on sleep and the need for nocturia education to better address this disease.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
VERONICA JOHANSSON ◽  
SURJO R. SOEKADAR ◽  
JENS CLAUSEN

Abstract:Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) can enable communication for persons in severe paralysis including locked-in syndrome (LIS); that is, being unable to move or speak while aware. In cases of complete loss of muscle control, termed “complete locked-in syndrome,” a BCI may be the only viable solution to restore communication. However, a widespread ignorance regarding quality of life in LIS, current BCIs, and their potential as an assistive technology for persons in LIS, needlessly causes a harmful situation for this cohort. In addition to their medical condition, these persons also face social barriers often perceived as more impairing than their physical condition. Through social exclusion, stigmatization, and frequently being underestimated in their abilities, these persons are being locked out in addition to being locked-in. In this article, we (1) show how persons in LIS are being locked out, including how key issues addressed in the existing literature on ethics, LIS, and BCIs for communication, such as autonomy, quality of life, and advance directives, may reinforce these confinements; (2) show how these practices violate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and suggest that we have a moral responsibility to prevent and stop this exclusion; and (3) discuss the role of BCIs for communication as one means to this end and suggest that a novel approach to BCI research is necessary to acknowledge the moral responsibility toward the end users and avoid violating the human rights of persons in LIS.


1988 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 33-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Lockwood

A new word has recently entered the British medical vocabulary. What it stands for is neither a disease nor a cure. At least, it is not a cure for a disease in the medical sense. But it could, perhaps, be thought of as an intended cure for a medicosociological disease: namely that of haphazard or otherwise ethically inappropriate allocation of scarce medical resources. What I have in mind is the term ‘QALY’, which is an acronym standing for quality adjusted life year. Just what this means and what it is intended to do I shall explain in due course. Let me first, however, set the scene.


Author(s):  
H.M. Hernández-Toledo ◽  
L.A. Martínez-Vázquez ◽  
A. Pani-Cielo

AbstractThe objective of this contribution is to present some results of an evaluation on the local conditions at the site that were considered in order to propose that the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, Tonantzintla, (OAN-Tonantzintla) become a National Facility for Astronomy Education. The evaluation included a quantitative diagnostic (CCD photometry) on the quality of the local sky. The attributes of the 1-m telescope, the current instrumentation and a well planned upgrading that includes new instrumentation is considered at the basis for a successful transition maintaining the attractiveness of the site for astronomy education. A 3-year upgrading program actually in progress at UNAM is providing funding for that purpose. Physics and astronomy programs at college and graduated levels at UNAM will benefit from this, yielding clear connections among astronomy researchers and educators and students at various levels. Although the OAN-Tonantzintla faces the danger of deteriorating its sky conditions, we are maintaining awareness of the night sky characteristics in long-term monitoring campaigns and encouraging the local authorities to find alternative solutions to this problem.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-301
Author(s):  
Radha Parekh ◽  
Hardini Prajapati

Aim: To check the knowledge of hypertension amongst undergraduate physiotherapy students. Background: Hypertension is considered to be a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risk of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases. It is also called the “silent killer”. Sedentary lifestyle, obesity, excessive salt intake, consumption of tobacco are risk factors of hypertension. Hypertension is present in the curriculum of the 4 year long bachelor of physiotherapy course where main emphasis on this topic is usually in the last year of the course. Methodology: 125 students filled a hypertension knowledge assessment questionnaire. The mean result obtained was 12.8 from an 18 point questionnaire. Conclusion: The study concludes that there is moderate knowledge of hypertension amongst undergraduate physiotherapy students. Clinical Significance: Knowledge of hypertension is needed in physiotherapy students to help prescribe a proper exercise regime for patients suffering from hypertension and also help them improve their quality of life. Physiotherapist can also play a major role in preventing hypertension. Keywords: Hypertension, knowledge, undergraduate physiotherapy students.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Ducray ◽  
M. Pilch

ObjectivesAs clinical impartiality is an accepted basic principle of ethical practice, any proactive exercises that may inform selection, training, clinical placements, and other interventions, which promote future positive and equitable professional conduct, thus guarding against future discriminatory attitudes are germane. Within this context, the purpose of this review was to identify trends and patterns in health student, namely future practitioners’, regard for substance-using patients using the Medical Condition Regard Scale.MethodsSix electronic databases were systematically searched for studies that used the Medical Condition Regard Scale as an outcome measure in assessing health student regard for drug-using patients. Academics who had published in this area were also consulted to recommend texts that would complement the above citation sourcing process. Following an elimination of duplicates, the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, as well as conducting citation searches, 16 studies were incorporated in the final review. Although the quality of all included studies was satisfactory, no study was free from a potential source of bias.ResultsThis review found that patients with drug-use problems were consistently held in the lowest echelons of regard by trainee health practitioners. The impact of sex, age, year of course, and personal exposure to mental health difficulties in predicting negative regard was unclear.ConclusionsUnless addressed, patients with drug problems may have a high potential for future treatment marginalisation by tomorrow’s health professionals. This scenario needs to be proactively managed by all stakeholders through a greater investment in educational and clinical training placement opportunities.


Author(s):  
Kaidi Kallaste ◽  
Jaan Alver

The recertification of the professional accounting qualification in Estonia: the requirements and quality of CPD As the purpose of a professional qualification should be to ensure quality to employers/customers, appro-priate requirements for professional training should not be too low. On the other hand, too high require-ments for the amount of training would lead to the situation where maintaining the level is expensive and if the labour market does not consider having a professional certificate necessary, recertification will be discarded. The purpose of the research was to identify the factors that influence an accountant’s decision whether to recertify his/her professional qualification or not. The conditions of recertification were ana-lysed and compared to other countries as were the requirements set up for auditors. The results of the survey revealed that in Estonia the decision not to recertify one’s professional qualification was mainly due to not having fulfilled the required number of qualification hours or not having certificates proving one’s participation in qualification training sessions. At the same time, compared to other countries, the requirements in Estonia are very low. So that the increase in the amount of training would not hinder recertification, alternative solutions for Estonia are proposed in the article.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-93
Author(s):  
I.  D. Turgel ◽  
A.  Zh. Panzabekova

The subject of research is the institute of regulatory impact assessment, implemented in the sphere of state regulation of economy in post-Soviet countries. The research aims to analyze the main approaches to the implementation of the regulatory impact assessment in the post-Soviet countries — Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, as well as to determine the prospects of development of this institute in the countries included in the analyzed set. Using the methodology of comparative research, the study collates the concept content of “regulatory impact assessment” in some of the post-soviet countries, the structure of the objects of assessment and government levels, at which it is performed. The research analyzes the methodological framework of the regulatory impact assessment and models of the organization of monitoring and quality control of regulatory impact assessment in the countries from the analyzed set. The paper characterizes the role of the regulatory impact assessment in the system of state regulation of economy in the countries of post-Soviet space, identifies the general and specific features in the functioning of the mechanisms of regulatory impact assessment in the analyzed countries, describes the problems of assessment in the activities of state authorities and local selfgovernment, and substantiates the development prospects of the institute of the regulatory impact assessment. The research provides findings on the need for improving the quality of the existing methodological support of the regulatory impact assessment, the lack of methodical approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of this institution, the risks of formalizing procedures of the regulatory impact assessment, and the feasibility of the regulatory impact assessment “integration” in the national strategy to encourage business and economic growth. Moreover, the paper notes that at the present stage of the development of the regulatory impact assessment institute little attention is paid to finding alternative solutions which require government interference in the economy. 


10.14311/554 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Bányai

In recent years, the notion that for environmental and legislative reasons improvements The national environmental policies and practice, including recycling strategies, are desirable and in many cases might be economically beneficial has been gaining ground. Although according to recent surveys the state of the environment in Hungary is in line with average values of the European Union, the main challenge for the country is to achieve sustainability in economic, environmental and technological terms. With a view to accession to the European Union, a harmonisation strategy must be worked out and implemented. This harmonisation strategy includes not only legislative aspects, but also social, technological, financial and logistic considerations.Because of the high logistic costs of achieving closed loop recycling systems, the author focuses on logistic aspects and tasks of the improvement phases and concentrates on the possibilities of networking and co-operation. The paper describes some possible alternative solutions for co-operative recycling processes, to improve the following logistic parameters: delivery times, accuracy of supply, running times, utilization of capacities, stock quantities, flexibility, transparency of the system, high forwarding capability, quality of product. The logistic aspects of co-operation will be analysed from the viewpoint of a closed loop economy.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document