Ethics & Law · patient case question
You lay out several treatment pathways and let the family choose. Which ethical principle is being honoured?
Patient case: 14-year-old with ectodermal dysplasia
Patient: 14-year-old boy, accompanied by his mother.
Chief complaint: Wants something done about his missing teeth.
History: Diagnosed in infancy with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Heat intolerance in summer. No other systemic disease, no medications.
Findings: Sparse, fine, light-coloured hair. Dry skin, dystrophic nails. Frontal bossing, depressed nasal bridge, protuberant lips. Severe hypodontia with conical anterior teeth and markedly reduced alveolar ridge height in both arches. Xerostomia.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Autonomy
- A. Justice concerns fairness in the distribution of care and resources.
- B. Beneficence is acting for the patient's welfare. It is present here but is not what giving them the choice specifically expresses.
- C. CORRECT. Presenting the reasonable options with their risks and benefits and letting the patient and family decide is self-determination — AUTONOMY, operationalized as informed consent.
- D. Non-maleficence is the duty to avoid harm.