Biomaterial Database

Should all pregnant women have an ultrasound examination? 1998

F A Chervenak, and L B McCullough

The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, 525 East 68th Street - M713, New York, NY 10021, USA.

This paper addresses the question whether all pregnant women should have an ultrasound examination. We used the methods of ethical analysis and argument to show that the principle of respect for autonomy creates an obligation to inform every pregnant woman about the availability of obstetric ultrasound in settings in which quality ultrasound is available. We considered two objections to this position, lack of benefit and excessive costs, and showed that these objections did not succeed. Obstetricians throughout the world should be advocates for informing pregnant women about the availability of routine obstetric ultrasound.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010344	Patient Advocacy	Promotion and protection of the rights of patients, frequently through a legal process.	Patient Ombudsmen,Patient Representatives,Clinical Ombudsman,Patient Ombudsman,Advocacy, Patient,Ombudsman, Clinical,Ombudsman, Patient,Ombudsmen, Patient,Patient Representative,Representative, Patient,Representatives, Patient
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011255	Pregnancy Maintenance	Physiological mechanisms that sustain the state of PREGNANCY.	Maintenance, Pregnancy,Maintenances, Pregnancy,Pregnancy Maintenances
D004992	Ethics, Medical	The principles of professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the physician, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the physician in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families.	Medical Ethics
D005260	Female		Females
D005610	Freedom	The rights of individuals to act and make decisions without external constraints.	Liberty,Libertarianism,Freedoms
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016216	Ultrasonography, Prenatal	The visualization of tissues during pregnancy through recording of the echoes of ultrasonic waves directed into the body. The procedure may be applied with reference to the mother or the fetus and with reference to organs or the detection of maternal or fetal disease.	Fetal Ultrasonography,Prenatal Diagnosis, Ultrasonic,Ultrasonography, Fetal,Diagnosis, Prenatal Ultrasonic,Diagnosis, Ultrasonic Prenatal,Prenatal Ultrasonic Diagnosis,Prenatal Ultrasonography,Ultrasonic Diagnosis, Prenatal,Ultrasonic Prenatal Diagnosis,Diagnoses, Prenatal Ultrasonic,Diagnoses, Ultrasonic Prenatal,Prenatal Diagnoses, Ultrasonic,Prenatal Ultrasonic Diagnoses,Ultrasonic Diagnoses, Prenatal,Ultrasonic Prenatal Diagnoses