You are a fourth-year medical student with a patient who has been in a severe motor vehicle accident. The patient has a subdural hematoma that led to cerebral herniation before it could be drained. Over the last few days, the patient has lost all brainstem reflexes and is now brain dead. You have the closest relationship with the family of anyone on the team. The ventilator is to be removed soon and organ donation is considered. Who should ask for consent for organ donation in this case?

You are a fourth-year medical student with a patient who has been in a severe motor vehicle accident. The patient has a subdural hematoma that led to cerebral herniation before it could be drained. Over the last few days, the patient has lost all brainstem reflexes and is now brain dead. You have the closest relationship with the family of anyone on the team. The ventilator is to be removed soon and organ donation is considered. Who should ask for consent for organ donation in this case?

A 34-year-old man is brought to the emergency department with fever, headache, and a change in mental status leading to significant disorientation. His head CT is normal and he is in need of an urgent lumbar puncture and intravenous antibiotics. He is agitated and is waving off anyone who tries to get near him. Co-workers accompany him. The resident informs you that the patient is pushing away the lumbar puncture needle. What should you do?

A man comes to the emergency department after a stab wound. Your notes document a 500-mL loss of blood. Later that night the patient develops asystole and dies. You find the loss of blood was originally really 3,000 mL, which was not recorded by you. What should you do to correct the documentation?

An 18-month-old child presents to the clinic with a runny nose. Since she is otherwise well, the immunizations due at 18 months are administered. After she and her mother leave the clinic, you realize that the patient was in the clinic the week before and had also received immunizations then. Should you tell the parents about your mistake?

A 65-year-old man comes to his physicians with complaints of abdominal pain that is persistent but not extreme. Workup reveals that he has metastatic cancer of the pancreas. The man has just retired from a busy professional career, and he and his wife of 40 years are about to leave on a round-the-world cruise that they've been planning for over a year. Should you tell him his diagnosis?