It is a shame this had happened. I just hope that (1) we Chinese should start to tell the truth to and trust with each other, again; and (2) the MDs in Chinese hospitals can grasp the very bottom line of issues. My first point I do not think I need to explain -- too many examples. My second point realy reflect an MD's level. In this case, they just fixated on the idea that surgery was the only choice to save the mother and baby, which is probably true, and for that you need the husband's signature in this case. But a smarter doctor should be able to identify the immenant and critical issue is cardiopulmonary failure induced by pneumonia. For this purpose (of respiratory failure), they could have intubated the patient on the spot without a signature from anybody (well, 2 MD's here in US)! That intubation plus fluid volume management, cardiac stimulation, antibiotics, etc. would buy lots of time and at least save the mother.
My mother nearly died giving birth to me! The doctor actually asked my father to choose whether he wanted to save the mother or the baby! Of cause my dad chose my mom! But my grandmother (my mom’s mom) was begging the doctor: “please, this is their first baby after 8 years of marriage!”
I was devastated knowing a mother’s life was just one of the choices in a split second to a father! That was then and back in China! And hope it is not the case anymore …
真妮啊,其實早兩天我就想問你對這事怎麽看來著,覺得你一定會關注這件事的。我在國內時做醫生,讓家屬簽字這事沒少幹。醫生的角度不用說了,從病人家屬的角度,不願簽字的心情我也很理解。我就見過上了手術台就沒下來的。美國大大小小的procedure也都要簽字,一些很小的在國內不用簽字的情況也要簽。不同的是,在美國都是病人本人簽,隻有在病人同意的情況下(有些還要寫書麵同意書),醫生才能把病情告訴家屬。如果病人喪失了自主能力(象昏迷、車禍等等),就由醫生做出最有利於病人的決定。未成年人由監護人替他們做決定。在life-saving or limb-saving的緊急情況下,即使監護人不同意(有些因為宗教信仰原因),醫生也要實施搶救。回到那個悲劇事件,醫院怕事後惹官司所以家屬不簽字就不手術的態度我完全理解。對病人來說是個例,對醫院來說是成百上千例,每救一個人就可能要打一次官司,醫院醫生都受不了。看來醫療製度要完善的地方太多了,應該從法律上給醫生緊急情況下更多的決定權。
When I was at elementary school, my mother had 膽結石 need 住院開刀. Being a doctor, she knew how many things could go wrong during the surgery! Even though she assured us everything will be fine and she had her friend 肝膽科主任親自主刀, after the surgery, she told us that 她開刀前偷偷溜回家是以防萬一來最後訣別. Thanks God everything went great.
Sometimes, even though we all knew the probability was low, but if we become the numerator, then to us it is 100%!