Aussie Doc: Don't Treat Smokers

[The Straight Story]

Aussie Doc: Don't Treat Smokers
Topic: Dumb People,Medical Ethics,Surgery

An Australian doctor is declaring that surgeons should avoid performing certain kinds of operations on smokers.

Considering the risks that their smoking poses during surgery, he thinks they should just forget about procedures like breast reconstruction and joint replacement:

"In healthcare systems with finite resources, preferring non-smokers over smokers for a limited number of procedures will deliver greater clinical benefit to individuals and the community," said in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal.

"To fail to implement such a clinical judgment would be to sacrifice sensible clinical judgment for the sake of a non-discriminatory principle."

said smoking ahead of surgery increased cardiac and pulmonary complications, impaired tissue healing, and was associated with infection rates up to six times higher than in non-smokers.

The last time I heard, pregnancy -- an entirely optional activity in almost all cases -- had a much higher complication and infection rate than non-pregnancy.

http://blog.wired.com/biotech/2007/01/aussie_doc_dont.html

[valerief]

1. "Considering the risks that their smoking poses during surgery, "

Wow! They even smoke *during* surgery!

[Kerrytravelers]

2. Ok, so, I'm not a smoker and my asthma makes being around people who are smoking hard on me, but...

... this is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. So, somebody has a habit I don't care for, am I suppose to deny them medical treatment? I also get annoyed by people who pick their nose while driving... so I guess they can be denied medical treatment because putting their finger in their nose can lead to infection from the bacteria that may be on the finger while inserting it in the nose?

Or, am I completely missing the point?

[mongo]

3. ..

:popcorn:

[prodigal_green]

4. guilty pleasure alert

I'm hooked on Doctor 90210 and while they will perform just about any alteration that comes their way, the main "character" on the show, Dr. Rey, refused to perform breast augmentation surgery on a woman because she would not give up smoking. He claimed it would be unethical to put her at unneccessary risk. She was bleeped a lot when she responded to this. I would say doctors should take that into account when performing elective surgery. The issue is a bit different in Australia, where the taxpayer foots the bill. I doubt they would refrain from performing needed operations.

[Der Blaue Engel]

5. Regardless of what I think about the rest of the entry

s/he lost me with the sarcastic comparison of smoking to pregnancy.

[madrchsod]

6. that`s the first thing i am asked -"do you smoke"

after it seems spending more time in the hospital than my home in the last several years i`m glad i quit smoking 25 years ago. i can`t imagine how bad my heart problems would have been if i would have kept smoking. the other surgeries i have had probably would`t have had a shorter recovery time if i still smoked. it`s a bit harsh but if you smoke expect to be treated like this by some in the medical community.

[lilymidnite]

7. My doctor won't perform surgery on smokers

My doctor will not perform surgeries on smokers, unless the patient quits for the prior 6 months. Reasons given are difficulty healing, pulminary problems, etc. He specializes in a surgery that can be high-risk as it is (gastric bypass).

[seabeyond]

8. england and australia.... certainly the encouragement i need to endorse

universal health care. ya baby

[rinsd]

12. Interesting. This would be an example of why I am against single payer

The use of government regulation to control behavior including the withholding of medical service because one has engaged in unapproved activities.

[seabeyond]

14. ok.... single payer... but

wouldnt they be able to do that with universal? isnt england universal? is australia single payer? i just do not know enough about this subject. i have never been for universal health care and am still concerned, but seeing the insurance practice last handful of years i know we need govt interference somewhere. i personally liked kerry's plan. but, i wont support anything that is going to deny a certain population because of choices they make, especially legal ones, but even illegal ones

[rinsd]

15. I think you could do it in any system

I just think government power and incentive to do so in a single payer system is greater than private power.

In fact I think you will see a movement in the next 10 years that instead of suing to recover medical costs inflicted by so-called preventable diseases you will see a call to restict services to those guilty of unapproved activities. With the soaring cost of healthcare this will be discussed as a cost saving measure with unsympathetic victims. And in irony of ironies will likely lead to a greater call for a single payer system (under the guise of cheaper health care via such a system, I say guise only because of assumptions of cost reductions in health care not to attach a negative connotation)

I want government regulation/universal care( I like Kerry;s plan as well) but not a single entity government medical. Though at this point I doubt the former will happen without becoming the latter.

[seabeyond]

16. then i guess i have to fight it. this is important enough to lose a vote over

i guess that not only do i have to do it for me the smoker, but that i have to fight it for all those others that will be told they can particpate in whatever unapproved activity, regardless if i am a part of that group or not. i guess that would be my moral obligation to our society.

so.... people who think this is a o.k. understand the people that would never accept this, and are just now softening on the issue is going to exactly point the finger at this and england and say THIS is why we will never go for it.

called compromise. you want a system like this, guarentee care for all. or else i wont do it and campaign against it. i have the money that i can pay for my medical care. i dont NEED single payer or universal. i was leaning to it for all the people struggling and without. not going to get for all to exclude me and selected others. i see people on this board decide right and wrong behavior. health care is too important to trust it to what i hear on this board.

[rinsd]

17. As a former smoker, I plead with you to quit

I am almost 11 months in and it is worth it.

But again I don't think any medical system has any basis of refusing to treat or de-prioritizing those who enagae in un-approved risky behavior. That's a slippery slope I do not wish to travel.

[seabeyond]

18. i am trying so hard

i want to so bad. i hate everything about it. but for me and not cause of this stupid ass ridiculous attitude toward smokers. makes me want to light up just the attitude. but then i am opposed to this behavior in so many ways. smoking truly gives me the understanding of bias. i am working on it. glad you were able to kick the habit.

[rinsd]

19. Take every day, one day at a time.

It isn't easy and I definitely undertsand the rebellious undercurrent.

But please give it a shot. DU has a smoking cessation group to hang out in if you need it.

[seabeyond]

20. i didnt know du had that. thank you

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. who comes next? today its refusing to treat smokers..who will they next refuse?

[NorthernSpy]

10. endorse this sort of thing at your own peril...

Today, it's refusing to treat smokers. Tomorrow, it's discriminatory treatment for people who indulge in some other potentially dangerous joy: skiing, biking, motorcycling, gun ownership, swimming pool ownership, etc, etc...


The reality is that EVERYONE makes choices that impose some kind of cost on society. Singling out smokers is just dishonest and arbitrary.

[SoCalDem]

13. Fast-food junkies and junk-food devotees will be next n/t

[rinsd]

11. Santimonious dickhead forgot something

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Geneva

At the time of being admitted as a member of the medical profession:
I solemnly pledge to consecrate my life to the service of humanity;
I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude that is their due;
I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity;
The health of my patient will be my first consideration;
I will respect the secrets that are confided in me, even after the patient has died;
I will maintain by all the means in my power, the honour and the noble traditions of the medical profession;
My colleagues will be my sisters and brothers;
I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient;
I will maintain the utmost respect for human life;
I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat;
I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honour.

And I say that as an ex-smoker who wishes everyone would quit too.