The ethics of publishing in medical journals

Ethics has been defined as the way we ought to behave. Medical publishing essentially exists to broadcast current and new medical knowledge to aid in the practice of medicine. In this review article we consider many of the aspects of medical publishing with regard to 'what we ought to do' and, equally, 'what we ought not to do' from the perspective of various ethical frameworks. Although ethics is not the law or a set of rules, nor a code of conduct, an ethical lens can be useful when developing good general guidelines for medical publishing.

An Ethics Framework for Making Resource Allocation Decisions Within Clinical Care: Responding to COVID-19

On March, 24, 2020, 818 cases of COVID-19 had been reported in New South Wales, Australia, and new cases were increasing at an exponential rate. In anticipation of resource constraints arising in clinical settings as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a working party of ten ethicists (seven clinicians and three full-time academics) was convened at the University of Sydney to draft an ethics framework to support resource allocation decisions. The framework guides decision-makers using a question-and-answer format, in language that avoids philosophical and medical technicality. The working party met five times over the following week and then submitted a draft Framework for consideration by two groups of intensivists and one group of academic ethicists. It was also presented to a panel on a national current affairs programme. The Framework was then revised on the basis of feedback from these sources and made publicly available online on April 3, ten days after the initial meeting. The framework is published here in full to stimulate ongoing discussion about rapid development of user-friendly clinical ethics resources in ongoing and future pandemics.

Use of guidelines when planning home care of a girl with severe congenital myopathy

We use issues that arose in the management of a 4-year old girl with a congenital myopathy to consider the tension between respecting the choices and decisions of the child's parents and applying clinical practice guidelines that emphasise minimising risk to the child. This case raises the issue of when it is reasonable to override parents' choice of management options.

In the beginning, there was general paediatrics …

In this article, we address how general paediatrics has evolved and adapted to change over the past 50 years and speculate on its future directions. We compare the state of general paediatrics with that of general adult medicine. We argue that general paediatrics must continue to have a strong role both in paediatric teaching hospitals and the community.

Management of children with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 in Australia

AIMS

The study aims to: (i) estimate the prevalence of spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA 1); (ii) describe what practices characterise end-of-life care of patients with SMA 1; and (iii) ascertain whether a consistent approach to the management of these patients exists in Australia.

METHODS

An audit of the Australasian pathology laboratories offering the diagnostic SMN1 deletion test was conducted for patients diagnosed with SMA in Australia for 2010 and 2011. In addition, a retrospective clinical audit was conducted in eight major Australian paediatric hospitals of the end-of-life care provided to children with confirmed SMA 1 from 2005 to 2010.

RESULTS

Thirty-five children were included in the clinical audit, accounting for an estimated 61% of children diagnosed with SMA 1 from 2005 to 2010. Twenty-six per cent were ventilated invasively, only two of whom were intubated after the diagnosis was confirmed. No children were ventilated long term (>90 days) or had a tracheostomy performed. Nasogastric tube feeding was a common measure to support adequate nutritional intake. Total parenteral nutrition, gastrostomy and fundoplication were not provided for any children. Conflict over end-of-life care decisions was documented in one instance, without the involvement of a guardianship tribunal.

CONCLUSION

There appears to be a consistent approach in the management of children with SMA 1 in Australia, which can be characterised as 'actively managed dying'. This study could contribute to the development of Australian consensus guidelines for the management of these children. These results also highlight a number of ethical issues related to the management of children with SMA 1.

Treatment of a case of pediatric hypereosinophilic syndrome with anti-interleukin-5

We report the use of anti-interleukin-5 (mepolizumab) during an 18-month period in a pediatric hypereosinophilic syndrome. Infusions every 3 months allowed better control of hypereosinophilic syndrome flares and maintained blood eosinopenia with significantly less steroid use compared with all other therapies (prednisolone alone, interferon alpha, or imatinib mesylate).

Tendon sheath abscess and severe carbamazepine hypersensitivity

We report a 10-year-old girl with enthesitis and Staphylococcus aureus tendon sheath abscess as complications of severe carbamazepine hypersensitivity. Our patient had an adverse reaction to intravenous immunoglobulin and this, as well as the use of corticosteroids, may have contributed to her condition.

Spinal muscular atrophy type 1: is long-term mechanical ventilation ethical?

We present a baby with spinal muscular atrophy type 1, an inherited disorder causing progressive weakness, leading to complete paralysis of respiratory, facial and limb muscles. Without intervention, death occurs in infancy due to respiratory failure. Mechanical ventilatory support can prolong life, but the child's quality of life is highly debatable. We discuss the appropriateness of initiating and continuing intensive care for this child and others in a similar position.

Withdrawal of neonatal mechanical ventilation against the parents' wishes

Neonatologists and parents usually agree when intensive treatment should be stopped. We describe the management of two babies where there was disagreement between the parents and hospital staff, and discuss the medical, legal and ethical implications of the two cases.

Parent-requested treatment

The decision about EPO was referred to and made by the Drug Committee, a committee of physicians, nurses and pharmacists. This committee has perforce to make decisions about drugs and vaccines, decisions which sometimes have a significant ethical component due to concerns about cost, safety and efficacy. Our hospital is considering developing a Clinical Ethics Advisory Committee, to assist with difficult ethical decisions such as this one. Should such a committee be asked to make acute ethical judgements on patient management? Larcher describes his ideal Hospital Ethics Committee as nonprescriptive, and suggests a more appropriate role is retrospective analysis and reflective discussion of clinical ethical problems. Such discussion may help with future rather than current management issues, and can help support clinicians in their decisions and hospital staff in their management of patients.

Investigation of suspected deficient Fas-mediated apoptosis in a father and son

BACKGROUND

A 2-year-old boy presented with symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS). His father had been splenectomized at age 12 with similar symptoms. ALPS is a rare hereditary syndrome that may result from a functional defect in Fas-mediated apoptosis.

METHODS

Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and splenic lymphocytes from the patient and PBL from his father and a normal control were analyzed for surface Fas expression. They were then stimulated with an anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (DX2). Apoptosis was assayed by flow cytometry at 0, 20, 28, and 34 h.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in expression of Fas (CD95) in the PBL of the patient, his father, or the normal control, or the splenic lymphocytes. Compared with the normal control, the PBL of the patient and his father failed to progress to apoptosis. They also contained a markedly elevated proportion of CD3+CD4-CD8- "double-negative" cells.

CONCLUSIONS

PBL from both the patient and his father expressed CD95, but failed to proceed to apoptosis after stimulation, suggesting a functional defect. These results and the clinical presentation are consistent with published descriptions of ALPS.

"On the spot' vaccination: does it work?

OBJECTIVE

To trial and evaluate a system of "on the spot' vaccination for children up to the age of 15 years in the Early Childhood Centres of the Central Sydney Area Health Service, at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children and in a number of general practices in the area.

METHODOLOGY

A brief questionnaire was used to collect data from parents and health care professionals about the child's vaccination status and vaccines given "on the spot'.

RESULTS

Over an 8 week period in August-September 1993, 5162 questionnaires were completed; 71% of children were up to date with their vaccination. If Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine, which had been introduced only 2 months before commencement of the study, was excluded, 84% of the children were up to date. A total of 441 children were given 663 vaccinations "on the spot'. Very few children were too ill to be vaccinated (6%). However, only 30% of those who needed vaccination "on the spot' actually received it (441 of 1480), and only 41% (24 of 58) of a subset of those who were not vaccinated were known to have complied 1 month later. Children attending Early Childhood Centres were younger than children attending general practices or the hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

A high proportion of children who attended for routine or acute health care had vaccinations overdue (30%). If this scheme could be continued and expanded it would have an important impact on vaccination coverage, and hence on the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Review of intubation in severe laryngotracheobronchitis

Of 208 children who required relief of severe airway obstruction due to laryngotracheobronchitis by an artificial airway (nasotracheal intubation or tracheostomy) during a 10-year-period, 181 (87%) were intubated and later extubated. Twenty-seven children (13%) had tracheostomies performed. The tracheostomies were for severe subglottic narrowing precluding the passage of an adequate size endotracheal tube in 10 children, and for severe endotracheal tube trauma in 17 children. Five children developed acquired subglottic stenosis (2.4% of 208) and 1 of these has a retained tracheostomy. One child died of cardiac disease. The remaining 202 children had no long-term complications of laryngotracheobronchitis, intubation, or tracheostomy. It is concluded that nasotracheal intubation is a satisfactory artificial airway for laryngotracheobronchitis. Endoscopic evaluation in a selected group of these children will identify those with significant intubation trauma or severe subglottic narrowing in whom continued intubation may cause permanent subglottic damage. The low incidence of acquired subglottic stenosis in this series supports the practice of selective endoscopy and tracheostomy.

Outcome of children with hematologic malignancy who are admitted to an intensive care unit

Sixty-four (48%) of 133 children with hematologic malignancy who were admitted to three pediatric ICUs died. Children who required management because of airway obstruction or after general anesthesia had the best outlook (mortality rate of 7% or less); those children who required major circulatory support or mechanical ventilation for hypoxemia did poorly (mortality rate of 84% or greater). Certain conditions in children with hematologic malignancy that require intensive care are associated with a mortality rate of approximately 75%. These include the following: suspected sepsis, interstitial pneumonitis, encephalopathy due to sepsis or hemorrhage. In children with these life-threatening conditions, therapy must be improved because at this stage, the patients do not benefit from admission to the ICU.

Artificial ventilation in severe pertussis

A retrospective review was conducted of all children admitted to our intensive care unit over eight years with a diagnosis of pertussis that had been proved on culture. Altogether 789 children were seen as outpatients and inpatients. Twenty four of these children were admitted to the intensive care unit, 13 of whom required ventilatory support; two of the ventilated patients died. Intubation and ventilation were usually started for appreciable apnoea. Most patients requiring support were less than 3 months of age and required intervention within the first 16 days of cough. For these patients ventilation was neither difficult nor prolonged. Coughing spasms were not a problem and intubation and ventilation appeared to attenuate the progress of the disease. The presence of severe bacterial pneumonia associated with difficult ventilation requiring neuromuscular paralysis indicated a poor prognosis. It is suggested that intubation and ventilation can be safely used in very severe pertussis infection and, because of their greater risk of hypoxic damage and death, it should not be reserved as a last resort in critically ill infants.

Severe upper airway obstruction

This article describes management of newborn and older children with severe upper airway obstruction, that is, those needing or likely to need airway support for their intact survival. These children have more to gain from optimal care, and more to lose from any error than most other children requiring admission to a pediatric intensive care unit.

Running, walking, and hyperventilation causing asthma in children

To examine further the relation between type of exercise, workload, ventilation, and exercise-induced asthma, we compared treadmill walking with treadmill running and treadmill running with isocapnic hyperventilation in separate studies in children and adolescents. Inspired air conditions were identical during each pair of tests. Walking and running with similar minute ventilation and oxygen consumption were followed by similar falls in peak expiratory flow rate as were running and hyperventilation with similar minute ventilation and end-tidal carbon dioxide tension. This study supports the concept that hyperventilation is a central mechanism in exercise-induced asthma.

Dicarboxylic aciduria: the response to fasting

The urine of a child who presented with an episode of a disease resembling Reye's syndrome was found to contain large quantities of the dicarboxylic acids adipic and suberic acids, as well as the glycine conjugate of suberic acid, suberyl glycine. A variety of other dicarboxylic acids, both saturated and unsaturated, were also found in the urine at the time of the attack. It was found that the excretion of these unusual metabolites could be markedly increased by fasting for periods of greater than 10 h. These results indicate that the patient may have a defect in fatty acid oxidation which becomes clinically significant during periods of prolonged fasting.

Transient hyperphosphatasemia of infancy--an insufficiently recognized syndrome

Spectacular transient increases in serum alkaline phosphatase were observed in five infants in the absence of demonstrable pathology.

Transient hyperphosphatasemia of infancy--an insufficiently recognized syndrome

Spectacular transient increases in serum alkaline phosphatase were observed in five infants in the absence of demonstrable pathology.