How informed need be informed consent? 2011

James W Jones, and Laurence B McCullough
Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex., USA. jwjones@bcm.tmc.edu

Dr C. Lever is a pioneer in endovascular infrarenal aneurysmectomy, with some of the best results published in the literature. He attempted an endovascular stent in an octogenarian that required an acute open repair. The procedure was touch-and-go and the postoperative course a train wreck, with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. After steadily deteriorating, the patient died. The son has filed a lawsuit claiming Dr Lever did not specify that a standard procedure might need to be done as an emergency. Dr Lever usually indicates an open procedure might be necessary, but the resident did not include whether or not Dr Lever did so in the informed consent note. Regarding technical details in the informed consent note: A. Always include operative details that will increase the risk, no matter how rare. B. Operative details are not necessary. C. Complications are the only necessary important components of informed consent documentation. D. As long as you postoperatively document what happened in the OR, you are legally and ethically all right. E. Every factor that could influence the patient's decision must be mentioned and then adequately documented.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007258 Informed Consent Voluntary authorization, by a patient or research subject, with full comprehension of the risks involved, for diagnostic or investigative procedures, and for medical and surgical treatment. Consent, Informed
D008297 Male Males
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000369 Aged, 80 and over Persons 80 years of age and older. Oldest Old
D014656 Vascular Surgical Procedures Operative procedures for the treatment of vascular disorders. Vascular Surgery,Procedure, Vascular Surgical,Procedures, Vascular Surgical,Surgical Procedure, Vascular,Surgical Procedures, Vascular,Vascular Surgical Procedure,Surgeries, Vascular,Surgery, Vascular,Vascular Surgeries

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