Principlist approach to multiple heart valve replacements for patients with intravenous drug use-induced endocarditis

Bibliographic Data

ID21515296
AuthorsDaniel Daly (0000-0002-5670-0730), Daniel J Daly (0000-0003-2488-8115, Boston College, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume48
Issue10
Pages685-688
Publication date2022-10-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Medical Ethics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0306-6800 • E-ISSN: 1473-4257
PublisherBMJ (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1136/medethics-2021-107685
PMID35732422
OpenAlexW4283267464
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited14

Medical professionals often deny patients who inject opioids a second or third heart valve replacement, even if such a surgery is medically indicated. However, such a position is not well defended. As this paper demonstrates, the ethical literature on the topic too often fails to develop and apply an ethical lens to analyse the issue of multiple valve replacements. This paper addresses this lacuna by analysing the case of Mr Walsh, a composite case which protects the identity of any one patient, through the principlist approach of Beauchamp and Childress. It argues that the hospital should offer Mr Walsh, a second valve replacement because the procedure is: medically indicated, autonomously requested, non-maleficent, beneficent and does not violate a formal account of justice. The paper concludes with clinical ethical guidelines for valve surgery for patients with opioid use disorder

Business · Cardiology · Economic Justice · Endocarditis · Family medicine · Intensive care medicine · Intravenous drug · Mechanical heart · Political science · Valve replacement · Cardiac Structural Anomalies and Repair · Cardiac Valve Diseases and Treatments · Infective Endocarditis Diagnosis and Management · Law · Medicine · Surgery

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