The advent of force-feeding in the new century in the context of conflict and protest made it necessary to clarify and revise the whole concept of artificial feeding and force-feeding.
The social institutions of medicine and the state have a complex history of interaction in which doctors have been the originators of political ideals, goals, and social change but equally often have found themselves to be instruments of political authority.
One of the many doors money and power often open gives access to opioids where they would otherwise be withheld without strict oversight and management. Elvis Presley provides perhaps the most famous example of unmanaged access to drugs.
An older generation was far more likely to understand itself and its social world in terms of sin and virtue, vice and godliness. Lack of self-control and weakness of will were moral failings to be avoided. That sort of language has fallen on hard times.
William J. Rifkin, Rami S. Kantar, MD, Safi Ali-Khan, Natalie M. Plana, J. Rodrigo Diaz-Siso, MD, Manos Tsakiris, PhD, MSc, and Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, DDS
Facial transplantation provides a viable option for those patients with severe facial defects who are more likely to adapt to their new facial appearance.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(4):309-323. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.4.peer1-1804.
Sabhyta Sabharwal, MPH, Jason W. Mitchell, PhD, MPH, and Victoria Y. Fan, ScD, SM
The World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend disclosing serostatus to sexually active adolescents. What else can be done to improve clinical outcomes and promote public health?
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(8):E743-749. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2018.743.