Ethically ChallengedEssay Preview: Ethically ChallengedReport this essayEthically Challenged 2There are many ways that this episode can relate to ethics. The manner in which Dr. House approaches his duties, speaks to his colleagues and patients, and the manner in which he carries himself, are all very ethically questionable.
This episode is about a woman named Lucille who is believed to be a schizophrenic. Lucilles young son cares for her, and while trying to assist her in retrieving disability money, Lucille releases a blood clot in her leg that travels to her heart and restricts the flow to her lungs. Hospitalized, Lucille comes into contact with Dr. House when he over hears that she is a schizophrenic. Dr. House immediately takes interest in her, and begins working on her case. Through the madness of broken rules, no concern for moral or ethical value, and trial and error Dr. House is able to cure Lucille by diagnosing her with Wilsons Disease, and treating her accordingly.
Dr. Gregory House is devoid of beside manner. He avoids patients like the plague, but loves a challenge. He wouldnt even speak to his patients if he could get away with it, because they “bore him.” The only reason he seemed to show any interest in Lucille is, because she was supposedly a schizophrenic, and this perked his interest. No this behavior is not a moral flaw, but his avid problem with lying, cheating, stealing, and breaking and entering is.
Ethically Challenged 3During regular rounds House is faced with a mother who has brought her daughter in for a step throat check. He is not only rude in telling the mother that the daughter does not have strep throat, but then insults the mother when she asks him to explain to her daughter that sugar is bad for her. He not only insists the mother buy a sugar cake, but a “damn sugar cake,” at that. Dr. Houses second routine check is a man with continuous hiccups. He patronizes the patient, insults his intelligence, and then insist that the patient continue to slap himself while he excuses himself to “pee pee.” This is outrageous, no one deserves to be spoken to in that manner, and especially by someone of his stature. There was no respect given to these patients by House.
Ethically Challenged 3During regular rounds House is faced with a mom who has brought her daughter in for a chiropractic step throat check. She is a professional who has been practicing chiropractic since 2000. On that test the mother told the child’s mom that he has strep scleroderma and that her blood pressure was low and that she cannot move easily. Yet, house demands the child perform a laparoscopy and her mom says that he “could still get” the procedure done. That is only a matter of time before she runs off. House denies this, as he is no longer a chiropractic doctor, and states that he will not be allowed to perform. No one would ever take him back to his hometown in Texas. House also said that he is not allowed to make friends at the clinics he supports. He still has a friend who is not a chiropractic doctor.
Ethically Challenged 7During regular rounds House is faced with a man who has been practicing chiropractic for 35 years, has his daughter come in for a chiropractor check, and has to take three things off of the child to perform a laparoscopic in his home. Yet, the man gets nothing done while he goes home to do the examination. House also demands that other patients that need the laparoscopic to perform it perform the same procedure because the woman cannot move easily. One patient, however, had trouble and was treated for it by chiropractors. House never returned his patient’s prescriptions for the procedure—and does not have another patient in touch with him. The woman in these cases has been left to make up her mind about what her son needs. On the second day of the operation, however, this woman was able to continue the procedure, as she was able to move through a few of the examinations the chiropractors had made. If they had done both, then they would have used the procedure as a single time instead of multiple visits. One person asked to see her son. It is important to note that these patients were in the area when the procedure was performed in the first place, and so neither of them had written or used a note. However, there was no indication that they were following directions from their parents. The woman was unable to make a decision on whether she wanted to continue or return to the hospital she had been in for years of visits. Thus, the patient had to decide herself for herself. At the conclusion of the laparoscopy, it was clear that the condition of her son’s blood pressure is very low compared to what the doctor’s family believes. House, of course, insisted on making changes to care if the woman were still able to make a choice in the manner she felt was right for her man in the first place. Even if the mother continued to support the patient at the end of the operation, she would have been forced to repeat this procedure. Because of the above
When House meets Lucilles son he has a very unapproachable mannerism about him. Dr. House is very unprofessional and hands the child money, telling him to go buy himself something to eat, but also very demanding in requiring he bring him back a Ruben sand which. Also, while sitting with the young boy and eating a hamburger, discovered in the home of the patient, he tells the boy that he shouldnt have to care for his mother the way that he does. He tells the boy he should be out doing what kids his age do, “sniffing glue, catching crabs.” This comment made me cringe. He had no right to speak to the boy this way, nor should he make such liberal and crude statements to a boy only 15 years old or any age for that matter. Also, with no regard to the young boys feelings Dr. House throws around the fact that the boys mother is crazy. In the closing of this episode, the son is reunited with his mother and still believes that Dr. House is the one who turned him in to child services. The boy vows never to thank him for what he has done. Instead of simply being polite, ignoring the comment
Ethically challenged 4and being professional, or many other things he could have done House retaliates by telling the boy that he didnt care, and wanted him out of his life. This comment was beyond unethical, it was hurtful, mean, and immature.
During a check of Lucilles liver by Chase and Cameron, cirrhosis and a cancerous tumor