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[Ethical Issues in Early Serological Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease]
Javier Silva-Silva1, Elsa González San Martín2
1Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Abstract:
The ethical conflicts involved in the medical indication of early serological diagnosis in Alzheimer's disease, for clinical contexts where a medical indication is required to perform the intervention, have been scarcely analyzed.
Hypothesis:
The prescription of early serological diagnosis in Alzheimer's disease violates more principles than it supports.
Aim:
To carry out an analysis regarding the ethical conflicts associated with the indication of early serological diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and to offer a clinical practice recommendation based on said analysis.
Methods:
Ethical analysis, in which the logical consequences of prescribing early serological diagnosis will be explained in terms of the ethical principles of autonomy, justice, beneficence and non-maleficence.
Results:
The intervention presents marginal benefit in terms of autonomy and beneficence, while it violates the principles of beneficence, non-maleficence and justice.
Conclusions:
The intervention is not ethically recommended. This could change if its cost diminishes and if disease-modifying therapies with an adequate safety profile are developed.
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