First, Do No Harm (Hardcover)

by Lisa Belkin (Author) "It was standing room only in Room 3485 the day the committee voted to let Patrick die..." (more)
Key Phrases: Ben Taub, United States, Sharon Crandell (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Belkin, a New York Times medical reporter, offers a detailed account of the rigorous moral and ethical considerations given to decisions made in the cases of several patients at Hermann Hospital in Houston, Tex., in the mid to late 1980s. By means of convincing dialogue and clear explanations of pertinent medical issues, she brings her readers into medical staff debates and through perilous operations, joyful remissions and death watches. The stories of Patrick, a dying 15-year-old; Armando, an adult quadriplegic; and Taylor, a premature infant who could fit into her father's hand, are presented in a novel-like narrative that also profiles the changes in hospital policy during cost-cutting times. Sympathetic portraits of hospital staff, patients and care-givers include images not easily forgotten: a father saying good-bye to his soon-to-die infant son and a terminally ill teenager writing in crayon, "Leave me alone," as his mother talks to him about death. First serial to the New York Times Magazine and Redbook.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA-- A look at medical ethics and the critical-care decisions made by the ethics committee, doctors, and four sets of patients/parents at Hermann Hospital in Texas between May-October 1988. Quality of life is measured against longevity and consideration is given to expenditure of limited resources. As most of these patients were children or young adults, the book has immediacy for high school students. The epilogue, written four years later, brings closure to decisions made. Young people interested in medicine or the health-care crisis are sure to find this involving.
- Barbara Hawkins, Oakton High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 270 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (February 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671685384
• ISBN-13: 978-0671685386
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #513,979 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Humanity of Doctors, March 11, 2004

By	D. Phillips (Overland Park, KS United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: First, Do No Harm (Mass Market Paperback)

I could hardly put this book down until I was finished with it. It was not just eye-opening about how some of the ethical choices in medicine must be made, including the all-too necessary financial considerations. It showed how human doctors are and how difficult it can be for them to have to make heart-wrenching decisions in which there is no right answer, especially when it is clear that, no matter which choice they make, there is not going to be a good outcome for the patient. In spite of their training and attempt to insulate themselves emotionally from their cases in order to remain objective and professional, it's not always possible. Ms. Belkin's descriptions of doctors in tears was very moving, and proved to me that those people chose the right profession, because they really do care about their patients.
I found, by searching for them on the AMA web site, that a lot of the doctors in this book are still in practice in Houston (one is in Albuquerque). This search gave absolute credence to the fact that these stories are not fiction but about real people.

52 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you Lisa, for being fair, November 30, 2000

By	Claire Sparks (Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First, Do No Harm (Mass Market Paperback)

Having a child featured in this book, I have read it several times. Lisa did a fantastic job when she wrote this book. You will find it to be a very insightful book. Having lived through this ordeal myself, I know that Lisa tried very hard to make sure that her facts are real and accurate. If you enjoy stories about the medical field I trully believe that you will find this one hard to put down until you have finished it.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book!, January 27, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: First, Do No Harm (Mass Market Paperback)

Ms. Belkin follows the work of the ethics commitee at Hermann Hospital. For anyone who enjoys true medical stories and difficult biomedical ethics problems, this is a great novel. Ms. Belkin does not present solutions, since in most cases there are no "right" solutions. Instead she provides an objective account of the cases from the point of view of all parties involved. This would also be an excellent book to use for discussion in a biomedical ethics clas