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geofraz's avatar

If you flip that fortune over, it has lottery numbers too.

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geofraz's avatar

"A routine but necessary part of practicing medicine is the decision not to squander resources on someone who is already brain-dead, such as in a massive brain trauma scenario, or fetuses that have no chance of surviving long enough to develop to a point of viability on their own even with advanced interventions."

I'll respond to that with an exerpt from the modern version of the Hippocratic Oath which every physician takes:

"...Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God..."

Refusing all life saving care based on the odds is playing God.

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