Bio: Week in Review
The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity lists these as the week’s top stories. Some are chilling.
Doctors Face High Risk of Malpractice Claims
Nearly every U. S. doctor will face a malpractice claim at some point, says the New England Journal of Medicine. (ABC News)
Test can identify paternity 12 weeks into pregnancy A DNA diagnostics center in Ohio has launched a paternity test that requires only a pregnant woman’s blood sample. (New Scientist)
Doctor ‘does not regret actions’
An ER doc in France admits he killed elderly sick patients with lethal injections, in apparent cases of euthanasia. (IOL News)
New test reveals fetus’ sex as early as 7 weeks
A highly accurate blood test can now tell a baby’s sex as early as 7 weeks into a pregnancy. The creepy part: Some couples plan to use the test to determine if they want to abort. (BioEdge)
Dead woman’s ova harvested after court okays family request
The family of a woman killed in a car accident requested that her eggs be extracted and frozen after donating her organs for transplant. (Haaretz)
USA: Healthcare reform’s effect on US medical tourism
Various arguments and stats are being used to suggest that U.S. healthcare reform will drive patients out of the country for treatment. (IMTJ)
Teen writes letter, gets free bionic hand
A British teenager wrote a letter to the boss of the Mercedes GP Petronas F1 racing team asking for $57,000 to pay for a high-tech artificial hand. Now that 14-year-old is the proud wearer of “the most advanced prosthetic limb in the world.” (Today)