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To tell the truth

Ethical and practical issues in disclosing medical mistakes to patients

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Abstract

While moonlighting in an emergency room, a resident physician evaluated a 35-year-old woman who was 6 months pregnant and complaining of a headache. The physician diagnosed a “mixed tension/sinus headache.” The patient returned to the ER 3 days later with an intracerebral bleed, presumably related to eclampsia, and died.

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Wu, A.W., Cavanaugh, T.A., McPhee, S.J. et al. To tell the truth. J GEN INTERN MED 12, 770–775 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.1997.07163.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.1997.07163.x

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