Doctor being tried for murder in Ohio - euthanasia?

[Dred Pirate]

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Have any of you been following this? Some interesting discussion over on the emergency medicine board.

Husel Trial -- NOT GUILTY

https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/jury-selection-underway-murder-trial-of-former-mount-carmel-doctor/530-7983c98f-3a75-43db-92b9-5df2cd8cecdd He's a crit care doc but I think trial is important anyway Details have never really been released, it's all going to come out soon. He's charged...

forums.studentdoctor.net

To me sounds like a cavalier doctor who is either 1. trying to be compassionate outside of what the law allows. 2. Has a little bit of a god complex.

Apparently several Rph's and Rn's have lost their jobs over this according to one poster. To me it just seems irresponsbile as any hospital should have end of life/comfort care ordersets which allows high titrateable doses of opioids to alleviate any concerns.

 

[Reirrac]

I'm curious of the pharmacist's perspective when they verified the order and other circumstances behind it. Was afraid to ask people I know who worked there. It's true pharmacists associated with the orders and the DOP lost their jobs from this incident based on previous news from 10tv.

It's a shame really. I can see what the doctor was trying to do but going against the rules got everyone involved into serious trouble. It certainly brings into question about how to ethically deal with end-of-life patients with multiple stakeholders.

 

[Dred Pirate]

I'm curious of the pharmacist's perspective when they verified the order and other circumstances behind it. Was afraid to ask people I know who worked there. It's true pharmacists associated with the orders and the DOP lost their jobs from this incident based on previous news from 10tv.

It's a shame really. I can see what the doctor was trying to do but going against the rules got everyone involved into serious trouble. It certainly brings into question about how to ethically deal with end-of-life patients with multiple stakeholders.

I don't know the right answer to this - from what I have seen (just small tidbits) - these patient's were all going to die. He allowed them to die quickly and painlessly - but where is the line where you cross the threshold of euthanasia (which is murder in Ohio). Every hospital (I hope) has comfort care/actively dying orders that have escalatng doses of opioids. In these cases - we are hastening death, even if just by seconds or minutes. So - where is the line drawn?

 

[Reirrac]

I don't know the right answer to this - from what I have seen (just small tidbits) - these patient's were all going to die. He allowed them to die quickly and painlessly - but where is the line where you cross the threshold of euthanasia (which is murder in Ohio). Every hospital (I hope) has comfort care/actively dying orders that have escalatng doses of opioids. In these cases - we are hastening death, even if just by seconds or minutes. So - where is the line drawn?

Without living wills/advance directives/power of attorney present, I think the answer is very subjective. For hospitals providing institutionalized healthcare, having standard of care protocols based on treatment guidelines with caregivers informed will hopefully minimize lawsuits and discourage doctors from trying extreme/radical approaches at the very least.