The Lazarus Case: Life-and-Death Issues in Neonatal Intensive Care (Medicine and Culture)

By John D. Lantos

Book Overview

A gripping exploration of the legal and ethical dilemmas in neonatal intensive care--a truly original work.

Chosen as an Outstanding Academic Titles in 2003 by Choice Magazine

In this new, startlingly original book, John D. Lantos weaves a compelling story that captures the dilemmas of modern medical practice. The Lazarus Case: Life-and-Death Issues in Neonatal Intensive Care begins with a fictional malpractice case--an amalgam of typical cases in which Lantos appeared as an expert witness--and uses it as the framework for addressing the ethical issues surrounding neonatal intensive care. Lantos draws on his experience in neonatal medicine, pediatrics, and medical ethics to explore multiple ethical dilemmas through one poignant representative situation.

In Lantos's model case, a doctor decides to stop resuscitation of a premature infant, a tiny "preemie" who seems past reasonable care. The baby survives with severe neurological defects and the parents sue the doctor, alleging that stopping treatment was negligent. From this case, Lantos considers our moral obligations to critically ill babies, the meaning of negligence, and the sorts of social structures that shape the moral consciences of doctors.

Each chapter begins with Lantos deposing in the conference room of the plaintiffs' lawyers. The questions put to Lantos throughout the deposition spark an engrossing retelling of his personal experiences with premature babies, as well as his thoughtful discussions of ethics, morality, history, and medical statistics. Sprinkled throughout the book are references to fictional works by Camus, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Twain, and others. Lantos uses these literary examples to further illustrate the ambiguities, misunderstandings, responsibilities, and evasions that plague our decisions regarding life and death, medical care and medical education, and ultimately the cost and value of preserving the lives of the most vulnerable among us.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801867622
• ISBN13: 9780801867620
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.4" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Highly Recommended

Dr. Lantos lends us a glimpse of the medical profession and the trauma of premature births in this eye opening and powerful account. He sympathetically describes his story, while also proding us with difficult and often unanswerable questions to debate for much after the book has ended. If interested in medicine, child rearing or the world of ethics doctors face daily, this book should be on your list.

Invaluable view of medical care for premature babies

This well-written, comprehensive, and deeply thoughtful book explores the issues surrounding the care of premature infants from a variety of perspectives. Lantos' own experience as a doctor clearly informs the entire book, but he also includes the voices of others, especially parents who have written about the experience of having a premature baby. By framing the whole book as an exploration of a single (fictional) medical case, he gives readers a sense of the complexity of ethical decisions that stem from a single incident. Lantos has succeeded in writing a book that speaks eloquently to non-medical readers without talking down to them. Recommended most highly.