Riley is a nurse working in a Hospital located in Australia. She has a patient who she attends to, named Bob, who is affected by H1N1 virus (influenza A virus), who is in intensive care and close to death. The patient’s family has been informed that Bob isn’t recovering, and as a result his life support will be turned off in 3 days. As a last resort, within the 3 days of having his life support tuned off, Bob was put into a prone position, in which he was rolled onto his stomach in the hope that it would clear his lungs (as suggested by the doctors). However, after day 2 (a day before his life support is to be turned off), this did not have any effect on Bob. In fact his state started to deteriorate.
Riley, his nurse has extensive knowledge on Vitamin C and believes that Vitamin C works wonders in many things. Therefore, Riley decides to tell Bob’s family about what she had researched on Vitamin C in the past and told the family of stories of previous patients who also suffered from a similar condition and fully recovered. As a last resort, Bob’s family decides to ask the doctors to administer high doses of Vitamin C to Bob, however the doctors informed the family that it isn’t good for Bob and that he will not make any recovery. Riley also suggested to the doctors to try high doses of Vitamin C administered intravenously, as well as notified the doctors of previous cases that it had helped patients in other countries. From this, the doctors refused to go ahead with administering Bob with Vitamin C and gave orders to Riley to not administer the Vitamin. The reason of refusing according to the doctors is due to the fact that it was a ‘wacky idea’ and it would do Bob no good.
Riley feels as though Vitamin C won’t harm Bob, therefore considers administering the vitamin regardless of the orders she was given, hoping that it may help Bob’s condition and save his life. However, if she was to administer Vitamin C to the patient she is not following protocol, and as a result she could loose her job.
Do you think that Riley should give Bob Vitamin C regardless of loosing her job? Or do you think that Riley should not go ahead and follow orders of the doctor, even though there is research out there that proves Vitamin C is not harmful and can help cure many things?
Below is a few links that currently describes Vitamin C and its effects as well as Vitamin C effects on a patient who also had suffered from H1N1. There is also many other links out there on you tube that could also help with your decision.
This case is made similar to an event that has occurred.
www.3news.co.nz/Living-Proof/tabid/371/articleID/171328/Default.aspx Read More
www.independent.co.uk/news/too-much-vitamin-c-is-bad-for-you-say-experts-1155256.html www.naturalnews.com/030936_vitamin_C_FDA.html weeksmd.com/2010/09/vitamin-c-saves-a-life/ www.3news.co.nz/Living-Proof/tabid/371/articleID/171328/Default.aspx www.vitamincfoundation.org/ It is proposed that Riley should not follow orders and administer Vitamin C intravenously to the patient in hoping to cure Bob’s condition