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Worst Case: Choosing Who Survives in a Flu Epidemic (Obamacare primer)
NY Slimes ^ | 10/25/2009 | Sheri Fink MD

Posted on 10/25/2009 3:58:17 AM PDT by markomalley

New York state health officials recently laid out this wrenching scenario for a small group of medical professionals from New York-Presbyterian Hospital:

A 32-year-old man with cystic fibrosis is rushed to the hospital with appendicitis in the midst of a worsening pandemic caused by the H1N1 flu virus, which has mutated into a more deadly form. The man is awaiting a lung transplant and brought with him the mechanical ventilator that helps him breathe.

New York’s governor has declared a state of emergency and hospitals are following the state’s pandemic ventilator allocation plan — actual guidelines drafted in 2007 that are now being revisited. The plan aims to direct ventilators to those with the best chances of survival in a severe, 1918-like flu pandemic where tens of thousands develop life-threatening pneumonia.

Because the man’s end-stage lung disease caused by his cystic fibrosis is among a list of medical conditions associated with high mortality, the guidelines would bar the man from using a ventilator in a hospital, even though he is, unlike many with his illness, stable, in good condition, and not close to death. If the hospital admits him, the guidelines call for the machine that keeps him alive to be given to someone else.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; US: New York
KEYWORDS: flu; flupandemic; h1n1; influenza; obamacare; swineflu; triage
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While this is the norm in a triage-type situation (limited resources being outstripped by demand), it will become the norm in an Obamacare world.
1 posted on 10/25/2009 3:58:17 AM PDT by markomalley
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To: markomalley

So under 0bamacare, stay out of the hospital!


2 posted on 10/25/2009 4:01:21 AM PDT by Ken522
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To: markomalley

“Who survives? Us. If you want something, pay us like the rest.”

3 posted on 10/25/2009 4:02:36 AM PDT by Diogenesis ("Those who go below the surface do so at their peril" - Oscar Wilde)
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To: Diogenesis
Nice picture.

Frank is probably used to having a hand on his shoulder.

4 posted on 10/25/2009 4:33:03 AM PDT by Quiller (When you're fighting to survive, there is no "try" -- there is only do, or do not.)
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To: markomalley

Well, well . . . remember this is also happening in Florida (Gov. Charlie Crist)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-swine-flu-crisis-propublica-sboct18,0,2336680.story


5 posted on 10/25/2009 4:34:39 AM PDT by Bluebird Singing
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To: markomalley

A lot of IFs in this article


6 posted on 10/25/2009 5:07:47 AM PDT by uncbob
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To: markomalley

Simple, under this disgusting administration, the dims survive and pubbies perish.


7 posted on 10/25/2009 5:29:04 AM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (Markets and Marxists Don't Mix! Audit the FED NOW!)
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To: alice_in_bubbaland

Or the recently amnestied illegal non-english speaking
alien is treated and long time taxpaying, born here
american dies.


8 posted on 10/25/2009 6:05:58 AM PDT by gussiefinknottle (woof!woof!woof!)
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To: markomalley

First of all, the patient in question who owned his own home ventilator has had its settings adjusted just for him(a pre-programmed card in most such machines). You wouldn’t take such a ventilator from him to give to another patient because of the infectious disease risk...the “stable” cf patient might be a MRSA or Hepatitis carrier. The machine just has to be turned on and chances are the patient has his own supply of filters and and humidifying equipment. He’ll just need suctioning and other monitoring.

Most such patients use only home CPAP machines or bipap machines designed to provide partial airway pressure while their diaphragms do the breathing. We have lots of patients who bring their own machines in all the time where I work and its no big issue setting up their systems and leaving them going thru the night!


9 posted on 10/25/2009 6:24:06 AM PDT by mdmathis6
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To: markomalley
yet i notice the word is never even mentioned... it would prolly burn like fire in their mouths
10 posted on 10/25/2009 6:41:30 AM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist *DTOM* -ww- I AM JIM THOMPSON!)
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To: markomalley

>>>>>While this is the norm in a triage-type situation (limited resources being outstripped by demand), it will become the norm in an Obamacare world.<<<<<

Zero is going to put the whole medical system into Triage mode.

0bama will make America one giant COMMUNE for Health Care AND some DEATH PANEL is going to make a choice for life or death for individual who no longer posses that freedom of choice.

There seems to be a pretty strong trend here - COMMUNITY Organizer + COMMUNAL Health Care + COMMUNIST CZARS (extra credit for the Maoists) = Communism for America.

“Community Organizer” is just the new lexicon for Communist in America.


11 posted on 10/25/2009 6:41:49 AM PDT by R0CK3T
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To: gussiefinknottle

Just having completed a very long week of H1n1 with an 8 year old we are thankful he is fianally getting better. We were not offered vaccine. Watching the news last eve we noted long lines of people waiting to be innoculated. It appeared that most were inner city hispanics. I am perplexed by the way the vaccine becomes available and who decided where it will be released to the public. Pediatricians do not seem to have the vaccine. What is going on with distribution?


12 posted on 10/25/2009 7:33:15 AM PDT by oldironsides
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To: oldironsides

In my county, the low-income schools got the first shipment of vaccine. Those kids got free shots at school, whatever their individual family income.

The wealthier areas will wait a few more weeks for a “free” clinic, and the county wants only uninsured people in line for those.

My pediatric group has 9 clinics. The clinics in the lower-income cities had some vaccine (very little). I was planning on driving an hour to get it there, when my local clinic got a small shipment (they ordered 11,000 doses and received 10, according to my ped).

I paid $60 in copays for my 4 kids to get the shot last Thurs. I’m sure most of the 9 clinics are out again. They update their website daily with their status.

My own doc office is lame; they couldn’t even tell me if they’ve ordered any—they seemed clueless.


13 posted on 10/25/2009 7:53:00 AM PDT by olivia3boys
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To: oldironsides

I believe it is part of wealth redistribution. Also, in order
to solidify hispanics as dems, the freebies they recieve
is amazing. They receive top of line medical care, free
obstetrician services plus free carseat, new schools built for
them, my town in ga has built two new taxfunded medical clinics
where they receive vaccines first. And, the Republicans
in Ga. go along. They receive WIC, no money down mortgages,
etc. It is crazy, and I will always hate GW Bush for colluding
in this invasion. Worse things are to come.


14 posted on 10/25/2009 8:25:30 AM PDT by gussiefinknottle (woof!woof!woof!)
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To: Bluebird Singing

The left is so tickled that they might have a chance to kill people - decide who they will allow to live and who they will kill in this flu season. They are absolutely sick fascist freaks.

Under a normal US leadership, the government would be working to expand the equipment and staff needed to save as many Americans as humanly possible. But with Marxists, we must discuss who to kill with our shortage of ventilators and health care facilities.


15 posted on 10/25/2009 8:43:41 AM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: SaraJohnson

“Under a normal US leadership, the government would be working to expand the equipment and staff needed to save as many Americans as humanly possible. But with Marxists, we must discuss who to kill with our shortage of ventilators and health care facilities.”

So what you are saying is that the “lifeboat scenario” where we brainwash kids into accepting relativistic morality and deciding who to kill is a communist philosophy, whereas the American philosophy is to simply build a bigger boat and stock it appropriately.


16 posted on 10/25/2009 9:37:01 AM PDT by Geritol (Every knee will bow, but not before the last trump.)
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To: markomalley
This situation has nothing to do with triage. He is admitted for appendicitis, not his CF or the flu. The fact he has his own ventilator with him should be irrelevant. The hospital should treat his appendicitis and get on with it. Taking his own property away from him, in effect killing him for no reason other than to serve the interests of someone else, would be grotesquely unethical and should be actionable under the law.
17 posted on 10/25/2009 10:25:46 AM PDT by hinckley buzzard (Truth--The liberal's Kryptonite)
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To: bamahead; ExTexasRedhead; fieldmarshaldj; Impy; AuntB

If the Obama Administration and the ‘Rat leadership in Congress has its way, this is the future of American medical care.


18 posted on 10/25/2009 10:51:54 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued (Liberal sacred cows make great hamburger)
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To: markomalley; justiceseeker93; Clintonfatigued; SkyPilot; brushcop; flat; dynachrome; NFHale; ...

Of course, all politicians will ensure that they survive leaving their slave populace to fend for themselves.


19 posted on 10/25/2009 11:40:20 AM PDT by ExTexasRedhead
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To: ExTexasRedhead

Got that right.


20 posted on 10/25/2009 11:46:34 AM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
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