“Primum non nocere,” harmful medical mistakes, hubris syndrome, and human fallibility; Getting to the heart of the matter

Primum non nocere.

The attending surgeon, still dressed in his tuxedo, was clearly drunk; the patient, dressed in a revealing party gown, had also had a few drinks. I was the junior resident on surgical call. I never dared to ask how the diagnosis was made but, somehow, during the party, the surgeon learned that she had an inflamed superficial varicosity of her upper thigh. He told her that she needed to have thi...

Primum Non Nocere — to Yourself

Australia-wide, doctors are returning to work after a break, perhaps even to circumstances similar to those so poignantly captured above: changing schedules to better meet the incessant demands of patients, reams of paperwork, escalating red tape and endless requests to serve on this or that committee. Indeed, their lives are subsumed by service to others before self. “No worries”, many say, “w...

Primum non nocere.

Primum non nocere

Primum Non Nocere