The first half of this article deals with the concept of informed consent. There are three important elements in practice. First, the consent must be specific as to the proposed intervention. Second, sufficient information must be provided so that a patient can fully understand the matter. For the criterion of sufficiency, this article proposes what might be called as 'the hypothetical self-test' with which physicians can self-evaluate the sufficiency of the information that they provide to the patient. Third, the consent must be given in a fashion to meet the patients' intellectual capabilities. In case the patient is not intellectual enough incapable, the consent, which is still required, can be obtained from a substitute decision maker. This article also suggests patients to prepare advanced directives when they are still competent, so as to avoid having their family members be left with moral quandaries of making the life with moral quandaries of making the life-and-death decision. The second half of this article deals with medical confidentiality. Why should a physician keep the medical record confidential? First, if the physician fails to keep medical confidentiality, hardly can trust be built between physicians and patients. Second, once the trust breaks down, physicians would face difficulties in taking the patients' medical histories, which are crucial to the diagnosis of the patient, because the patients obviously are reluctant to give information in that setting. Third, each individual should have control over information about him/herself. This article concludes with cataloging seven circumstances in which medical confidentiality is excused. (237 words).
Cataloging ; Confidentiality* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Informed Consent* ; Medical Records

No abstract available.
Child* ; HIV Infections* ; HIV* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Encephalitis, Viral*

No abstract available.
Ethics, Professional*

No abstract available.
Compensation and Redress*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Ethics* ; Genomics* ; Humans*

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplication was used to detect cytomegalovirus (CMV) in tissue culture from the urine of newborns and patients who was suspected CMV infection, Synthetic oligonucleotide primer pairs were used to amplify DNA from the major immediate-early and the phosphoprotein 150 genes of CMV AD 169. Amplified products were detected by gel electrophoresis and by dot-blot hybridization with oligonucleotide probes. We found 12 different tissus culture isolates of CMV after the microimmunoassay using monoclonal antibody to immediate-early antigen. All 12 isolates were positive after PCR amplification. But there was no positive reaction when the same primers and probes were used to amplify herpes simplex virus and human genomic DNA. Twelve urine samples were positive when tested with one or both primer pairs and probes. When compaired tissue culture, detection gel electrophoresis provide a sensitivity of 91% (11/12), dot-blot analysis raised the sensitivity to 100% (12/12). A specificity of both primer was 100%(0/12). We conclude that PCR amplification may be a valuable tool for diagnosing congenital CMV infection.
Cytomegalovirus* ; DNA* ; Electrophoresis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Oligonucleotide Probes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Simplexvirus

No abstract available.
Child* ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Breast* ; Osteosarcoma*