Sometimes Those Hoofbeats Are Zebras: A Narrative Analysis
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Spring 2017
Keywords
Clinical Ethics, Ethical Focus, Case Study, Communication, Medical Error, Moral Distress, Two-Challenge Rule
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1353/nib.2017.0020
Abstract
The case of BB, an 11-year-old girl who was hospitalized because of sudden odd seizure-like symptoms and catatonic affect, highlights several ethical issues and communication problems. The correct diagnosis was initially missed, partly because physicians are trained to think of the most common explanation for a patient’s symptoms; the medical education truism “when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras” was not helpful in BB’s case. The common habit of medical professionals to not revisit a diagnosis once one is established also led to missed opportunities to provide appropriate care for this young patient. The difficulty nurses and/or family members have in questioning a diagnosis and treatment plan are also discussed.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics, v. 7, no. 1, pg. 79-85.
Scholar Commons Citation
Roscoe, Lori A., "Sometimes Those Hoofbeats Are Zebras: A Narrative Analysis" (2017). Communication Faculty Publications. 876.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/spe_facpub/876
