Medical Ethics

1
Medical Ethics

• Veronica Pruett, Ben Miller, Amber Light, Rachel
  OMalley, and Melanie Borstad

2
Psychiatric Medications During Pregnancy

• Can lead to debilitating birth defects.
• Suicidal/homicidal ideation for the Mother
• Long term behavioral and developmental struggles
  for the child.
• Have no real way to be tested that is safe for
  Mother and baby

3
Medication for ADD/ADHD and Depression In Children

• Chemical Imbalances
• Commonly go hand in hand (why)
• Different effects of different medications
• Good and bad
• Experimentation of different medications
• Meds can..
• Improve grades
• Improve relationships
• Improve self esteem

4
Pre-Natal Surgery to Correct Spina Bifida

• Spina Bifida affects 1 in every 2000 newborns
  Spina
• Spina Bifida is caused by a hole in the spinal
  canal
• Doctors can surgically close the hole while the
  fetus is still in the womb
• Treating the defect before birth reduces the need
  for repeat operations and expensive long-term care

5
Homeless Facing Mental Illness

• There is a serious lack of funding for programs
  based on helping these people
• Due to someone not being able to function in
  society many times leaves them to be ignored
• It leads to an irreversible social stigma that
  more than likely can lead in death or severe
  abuse

6
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and
Adolescents

• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are a
  type of psychiatric medication which concentrate
  levels of serotonin in the brain, a chemical that
  controls mood
• SSRIs are dangerous for patients between the
  ages 7-17 because the concentration of serotonin
  causes increased levels of anxiety and suicidal
  behavior
• Examples of SSRIs are Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, etc.

7
Wrapping it up

• Each of the situations that our group posed are
  controversial topics. The question that has to
  be asked in every situation is Do the benefits
  out weigh the risks?