Your anonymous correspondent ("Someone else's problem", filler, 18 July, p194) was upset by the attitude of some hospital staff when they seemed to regard Annie - a doubly incontinent patient from a neighbouring psychogeriatric hospital (who finally had a four hour operation on her "huge infected pressure sore") - as little more than a burden, obstructing and delaying the needs of others. But should we not perhaps be equally upset by the sickening description given of the forcible dressings that this poor demented patient repeatedly tried to refuse?
When, if ever, is it right to do others what we would not want done to ourselves? How many of us would sign an advance directive that "in the event of my old age being accompanied by dementia and double incontinence and a large infected bed sore, I wish daily dressings to be done by force if necessary, however much I resist, and I want this to be continued for as many weeks or months as it takes to prepare me for skin grafting"?
Rapid Response:
Would we want this done to us?
Your anonymous correspondent ("Someone else's problem", filler, 18 July, p194) was upset by the attitude of some hospital staff when they seemed to regard Annie - a doubly incontinent patient from a neighbouring psychogeriatric hospital (who finally had a four hour operation on her "huge infected pressure sore") - as little more than a burden, obstructing and delaying the needs of others. But should we not perhaps be equally upset by the sickening description given of the forcible dressings that this poor demented patient repeatedly tried to refuse?
When, if ever, is it right to do others what we would not want done to ourselves? How many of us would sign an advance directive that "in the event of my old age being accompanied by dementia and double incontinence and a large infected bed sore, I wish daily dressings to be done by force if necessary, however much I resist, and I want this to be continued for as many weeks or months as it takes to prepare me for skin grafting"?
Competing interests: No competing interests