Absolute versus relative values.
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Abortion, Eugenic↗
Biomedical subjects
Kenneth E Olive
Publications and source records attributed to Kenneth E Olive.
Septic discitis: an important cause of back pain.
A 65-year-old man with a 3-month history of intractable back pain had previously received cytotoxic curative chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. His postchemotherapy course had been complicated by febrile neutropenia, recurrent coagulase-negative staphylococcal bacteremia, and gastrostomy site infections. He was admitted with severe intractable lower back pain requiring high doses of intravenous narcotic analgesia. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine was highly suggestive of disk infection. Fluoroscopically guided needle aspiration of the disk space was confirmatory, and both tissue and blood cultures were positive for coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species. Treatment included i.v. vancomycin and oral levofloxacin. The most common organism causing disk space infection is Staphylococcus aureus. but Staphylococcus epidermis should be considered in immunocompromised patients. Septic discitis is an important differential diagnosis of back pain and should be considered in any clinical situation associated with bacteremia.
Aged↗
Absolute versus relative values: effects on family practitioners and psychiatrists.
BACKGROUND: Research demonstrates that religious values clearly impact on the judgments made by physicians and their patients. One basic dichotomy--belief in ethical values that do not change (absolute values) versus belief in values that change depending on the situation (relative values)--has recently been experimentally associated with different ethical decision-making patterns. METHODS: An anonymous, randomized, national survey and 1-week response prompt with 1-month follow-up mailing as necessary were distributed to nationwide samples of board-certified American family practitioners and psychiatrists. Physicians answered descriptive questions and standardized personality assessments and responded to three vignettes describing ethically sensitive scenarios concerning birth control medication for sexually active single women, euthanasia, and abortion. RESULTS: Response rates were 34% for psychiatrists and 38% for family practitioners. Family practitioners and absolutists were significantly more supportive of religious activities and had more religious parents than psychiatrists and relativists. Furthermore, family practitioners and absolutists were less approving of the vignettes than other groups. CONCLUSION: Family practitioners were more supportive of religious activities than psychiatrists as reported in previous research. The absolute versus relative value dichotomy is a useful concept in examining physician attitudes as they affect health care and personal behavior. However, questions concerning place of worship attendance and giving in addition to specific religious value labels may be more efficient experimentally. Physicians should be aware of their own biases in discussions with patients, families, and other health care providers.
Abortion, Induced↗