Lytle Sarah, Stagno Susan J, Daly Barb
University Hospitals Case Medical Center Department of Psychiatry in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
J Clin Ethics. 2013 Summer;24(2):91-7.
The treatment of persons who frequently present to the healthcare system following repetitive foreign body ingestion has been addressed in the psychiatric literature. However, there has been little exploration of the ethical considerations regarding the treatment of these patients. The complexity of their medical and psychiatric presentation raises fundamental ethical questions regarding the duty to treat, patient autonomy, justice, and futility. Careful ethical analysis is particularly important in this context, since the frustration that medical professionals may feel in response may lead to false assumptions that can negatively impact patient care. A careful exploration of these questions can increase awareness and understanding, which in turn can lead to improved treatment of patients who repetitively ingest foreign bodies. Care for patients who inflict self-harm, particularly by repetitive foreign body ingestion, is not futile. The patients have a right to treatment and are entitled to resources. Efforts should be made to provide a more comprehensive treatment approach to these patients.
精神病学文献中已探讨了对反复吞食异物后频繁前往医疗系统就诊者的治疗。然而，对于这些患者治疗中的伦理考量却鲜有探讨。他们医学和精神状况表现的复杂性引发了关于治疗义务、患者自主权、公平性和治疗无用性等基本伦理问题。在这种情况下，细致的伦理分析尤为重要，因为医疗专业人员可能产生的挫败感可能导致错误的假设，进而对患者护理产生负面影响。对这些问题进行仔细探究能够提高认识和理解，从而改善对反复吞食异物患者的治疗。对实施自我伤害的患者，尤其是通过反复吞食异物进行自我伤害的患者的护理并非徒劳。这些患者有权接受治疗并获得资源。应努力为这些患者提供更全面的治疗方法。
