A gripping exploration of the legal and ethical dilemmas in neonatal intensive care—a truly original work.
Chosen as an Outstanding Academic Titles in 2003 by Choice Magazine
In this new, startlingly original book, John D. Lantos weaves a compelling story that captures the dilemmas of modern medical practice. The Lazarus Case: Life-and-Death Issues in Neonatal Intensive Care begins with a fictional malpractice case—an amalgam of typical cases in which Lantos appeared as an expert witness—and uses it as the framework for addressing the ethical issues surrounding neonatal intensive care. Lantos draws on his experience in neonatal medicine, pediatrics, and medical ethics to explore multiple ethical dilemmas through one poignant representative situation.
In Lantos's model case, a doctor decides to stop resuscitation of a premature infant, a tiny "preemie" who seems past reasonable care. The baby survives with severe neurological defects and the parents sue the doctor, alleging that stopping treatment was negligent. From this case, Lantos considers our moral obligations to critically ill babies, the meaning of negligence, and the sorts of social structures that shape the moral consciences of doctors.
Each chapter begins with Lantos deposing in the conference room of the plaintiffs' lawyers. The questions put to Lantos throughout the deposition spark an engrossing retelling of his personal experiences with premature babies, as well as his thoughtful discussions of ethics, morality, history, and medical statistics. Sprinkled throughout the book are references to fictional works by Camus, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Twain, and others. Lantos uses these literary examples to further illustrate the ambiguities, misunderstandings, responsibilities, and evasions that plague our decisions regarding life and death, medical care and medical education, and ultimately the cost and value of preserving the lives of the most vulnerable among us.
John D. Lantos, M.D., is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago and holds the John B. Francis Chair in Bioethics at the Center for Practical Bioethics in Kansas City. He is the author of Do We Still Need Doctors? and coauthor of Neonatal Bioethics: The Moral Challenges of Medical Innovation, also published by Johns Hopkins.
John D. Lantos, M.D., is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago and holds the John B. Francis Chair in Bioethics at the Center for Practical Bioethics in Kansas City. He is the author of The Lazarus Case: Life-and-Death Issues in Neonatal Intensive Care (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001).
Table of Contents
The Lazarus Case: Life and Death Issues in Neonatal Intensive Care Chapter 1. Somebody Will Pay Chapter 2. Passing Out In The NICU Chapter 3. Learning about Death and Dying Chapter 4. Standards of Care Chapter 5. Prognostication and Futility Chapter 6. Consent, Communication, Shared Decision Making Chapter 7. Getting Paid Chapter 8. Home Births Chapter 9. Mistakes in Context Chapter 10. Closing Argument
What People are Saying About This
Hilde L. Nelson
Lantos's insights are thoughtful, his empirical and sociological research is impeccable. His insistence that moral agency is possible despite the fact that society heavily shapes our practices and ways of thinking is ultimately as refreshing as it is convincing. I know of no other book like this one.
Hilde L. Nelson, Department of Philosophy, Michigan State University
From the Publisher
Lantos's insights are thoughtful, his empirical and sociological research is impeccable. His insistence that moral agency is possible despite the fact that society heavily shapes our practices and ways of thinking is ultimately as refreshing as it is convincing. I know of no other book like this one.—Hilde L. Nelson, Department of Philosophy, Michigan State University
This is an exceptionally good book that makes effective use of an engaging format to discuss the complex social and moral problems engendered by medical technology—in this case, those of treating premature newborns. Each chapter reflects on a specific aspect of this issue—technological, medical, legal, professional, and ethical—and Lantos brilliantly weaves these themes together by making himself the protagonist in a malpractice case inspired by his own experiences as an expert medical witness.—Stuart J. Youngner, Director, Center for Biomedical Ethics at Case Western Reserve University
Stuart J. Youngner
This is an exceptionally good book that makes effective use of an engaging format to discuss the complex social and moral problems engendered by medical technology—in this case, those of treating premature newborns. Each chapter reflects on a specific aspect of this issue—technological, medical, legal, professional, and ethical—and Lantos brilliantly weaves these themes together by making himself the protagonist in a malpractice case inspired by his own experiences as an expert medical witness.
Stuart J. Youngner, Director, Center for Biomedical Ethics at Case Western Reserve University