Belgian prisoners denied euthanasia
They fail to meet minimum requirements Belgian serial rapist and murderer Frank Den Bleeken, who was serving a life sentence, sparked a controversy by asking...
Drug companies flunk transparency test
Only two-thirds of clinical trials for new drugs were disclosed in 2012, according to a new study in BMJ Open Only two-thirds of clinical trials...
A quiet revolution in organ transplant ethics
What will happen when transplants merely improve lives, not save them? Earlier this week New York University Langone Medical Center announced the successful completion of...
Filling out euthanasia death certificates in Quebec
Doctors are being told to lie about the cause of death Physician-assisted suicide begins in Quebec on December 10. One of the overlooked consequences of...
Sociologist opposes ban on Indian commercial surrogacy
It's too late to change the system. Dr Nayna Patel (centre) and her "house of surrogates", in Gujarat There is always a flip side...
Charlie Sheen’s reluctant bioethics script
Hollywood star blackmailed over HIV status The real lives of Hollywood stars often have just as much bioethical interest as their movies. This week Charlie...
Paris attacked by terrorists
As I write, at least 127 people have died after coordinated attacks on several venues in Paris. President Hollande has declared a state of emergency,...
Dutch doctors puzzled by religious immigrants’ attitude toward euthanasia
Patients sometimes refuse morphine, fearing that doctors will kill them. Dr Maria van den Muijsenbergh Dutch doctors who are accustomed to offering sick patients...
10% of elderly Americans abused, says NEJM
Doctors need to be able to recognise the tell-tale signs of elder abuse Doctors need to be able to recognise the tell-tale signs of elder...
End ‘stem cell tourism,’ experts urge
Many “cures” are problematic and unsustainable Stem cell scientists appear to have oversold their product. In debates a decade ago, scientists, foundations and patient advocacy...
Indian doctors snared by female extortionists
"Acts of an amorous nature" and medicine do not mix “Whatsoever house I may enter, my visit shall be for the convenience and advantage of...
‘The bioethics revolution is over’
Has the discipline become too boring? In the 1960s and 70s bioethics was “revolutionary”, bringing a new perspective to medical issues. However, as more and...