Primum non nocere—first do no harm. And then feed peanut

Peanut oral immunotherapy is not ready for clinical use.

Hippocrates wrote that ‘‘The physician must . . . have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm’’ (Hippocratic Corpus, Epidemics, Bk I, Sect 5). As physicians, we are continually challenged with the task of weighing the possible risks and benefits of treatment against those of taking no action. Similarly, we pursue clinical investigation when exist...

Primum non nocere (first, do no harm).

A 66-year-old male presented with non-specific acute abdominal pain, central abdominal tenderness and guarding. A CT scan performed for further evaluation showed characteristic features of acute appendicitis, a diagnosis confirmed during subsequent laparoscopic surgery. CT also revealed an incidental abnormality in the left lower lumbar region (Figure 1). What is the diagnosis and what is its a...

Dentofacial orthopedics and temporomandibular disorders \(TMD\): primum non nocere

The relations between dentofacial orthopedics and occlusodontics are an on-going subject of interest for practitionersofbothdisciplines.Thenumerous publications, including several previous special issues of the Revue d’ODF/ Journal of Dentofacial Anomalies and Orthodontics, that have been devoted to this topic over the last thirty years bear ample testimony to its importance. Temporomandibular ...

On the philosophy of diagnosis: is doing more good than harm better than "primum non nocere"?

Diagnosis is arguably the cornerstone of medicine. Without at least some form of diagnosis the practice of medicine would not be possible. This narrative review explores common philosophical assumptions and challenges the notion that a certain diagnosis can ever be made. The idealistic concept of "primum non nocere" is discussed, and whether the utilitarian goal of achieving "the greatest happi...

Pulmonary artery catheter for coronary artery bypass graft: does it harm our patients? Primum non nocere.