.placebo and patient.
( Reuters ) had been my daily dose of international news service after the local Malaysian popular online news, ( Utusan Malaysia ).
today, i came across this poll;
*what say you?*to those who doesn't understand, placebo is a term used by physicians and medical staffs around the world giving the meaning of - a substance having no pharmacological effect but given merely to satisfy a patient who supposes it to be a medicine according to ( Dictionary.com ).
i do not want to state my pov in medical statement as some of my readers might not understand as not each and everyone of you readers know most of the medical terms.
every single action taken has its pros and cons.
same goes to this matter.
to me, a placebo is more to some medication given to the patient that although it does not give any effects as other drugs, but it sets the mind of the patient that he/she will get better in a way of self-healing treatment.
our body posses our own physiological process where the mechanical, biochemical and physical functions of the living organism helps to heal the wound through these significant contribution;
- change in weather
- change of diet/nutritions
- change in eating habits
- emotional stress
- confidence aroused in/during treatment
patients might have the choice to choose between to have or not to receive the placebo medication AFTER the doctor explains the side effects either in short term or long term period according to the researchers of University of Chicago.
but if i were to face this case, patient must not know that the drugs are an ineffective placebo.
this is how the placebo will work when the expectancy effect by conscious or unconscious manipulation by the patient itself in reporting to improve.
patient should be motivated and be given encouragement so that the brain is functioned to see changes of the biological effect same as the real drugs.
no doubt that they are just drugs in trial or in short, 'blind' antidote.
of course, there are still drugs and placebos on probation that needs to be examined and be tested.
placebo's side effects are inflammation, where swelling, redness, heat and pain can occur and also sickness behavior seems to arise although they are just 'sugar pills' without any active substance.
i shall not write more cause i am still halfway through mad-med-school!
to understand more, read ( this article ).
it might give benefits although you are not a medical student nor a medical staff.
knowledge is just as important to let you live longer.
what say you medical people?
p.s: i think i prefer Barack Obama. don't ask.
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4 of you spilled!:
I wonder how the placebo-givers deal with lawsuits? Is there any?
Assalamualaikum,
Selamat Menyambut Maal Hijrah 1429, semoga kehidupan di tahun yg baru ni akan lebih membahagiakan...
Beruang madu aka HoneyBear
efenem: a good question faiz.
that wonders me too.
i guess i haven't heard that kind of cases yet or maybe the doctors do not want to make it an issue as this might not be a big deal for them.
or maybe because of the lack knowledge of the community regarding this so-called fake drugs.
it is simple. in our own country for example, patients will simply agree to take whatever pills and prescriptions given by the doc provided that doc are the only people they could trust for them to regain health in a proper way.
(besides the bomoh thingy la..)
i guess we should ask a doctor's opinion on this.
Dr. Shah?
beruang madu: Salam Maah Hijrah pada cik yazid juga.
semoga kesakitan pada lutut cik yazid bertambah baik! =)
may things turn out well in your future!
Sorry for the really late response. Was a bit preoccupied with setting up my new blog.
In my opinion it is unethical to prescribe placebos to patients without them being informed of it. Although there are cases where patients who are given placebo were found to respond better, why should they be subjected to this for conditions where proven treatment modalities already exist. And if they were already informed beforehand that they would be getting a placebo, then the placebo effect would most probably not be apparant.
It may be different for conditions where medically there is nothing else that can be offered, then maybe the administration of placebos especially one that there strongly believe might help, may bring about a change in their condition. Still this is not very well proven.
In clinical trials where placebo is administered to groups of patients to compare them to effects of actual drugs, the patients are already informed that they will either receive a placebo or a trialled drug - and that there is no way for them to know which group they belong to. They are monitored throughout the trial and should any complications arise from the placebo or from not getting the actual treatment, then they would be discontinued from the trial. So in this case the use of placebos is warranted as long as patient safety is ensured.
So in essence, the age old saying "Primum Non Nocere" is what we should hold on to.
Great entry by the way.
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