Question

You are a general practitioner and a mother comes into your office with her child who is complaining of flu-like symptoms. Upon entering the room, you ask the boy to remove his shirt and you notice a pattern of very distinct bruises on the boy's torso. You ask the mother where the bruises came from, and she tells you that they are from a procedure she performed on him known as "cao gio," which is also known as "coining." The procedure involves rubbing warm oils or gels on a person's skin with a coin or other flat metal object. The mother explains that cao gio is used to raise out bad blood, and improve circulation and healing. When you touch the boy's back with your stethoscope, he winces in pain from the bruises. You debate whether or not you should call Child Protective Services and report the mother.

Required:
a. Should we completely discount this treatment as useless, or could there be something gained from it?
b. When should a physician step in to stop a cultural practice?
c. Should the physician be concerned about alienating the mother and other people of her ethnicity from modern medicine?

Answer 1

Answer:

1. This treatment should be considered useless, as its based on blind superstition causing pain only to the boy because of which he developed flu.

2. A physician should step into stop a cultural practice when it becomes harmful to the health of the individual .

3. No, the physician should not be concerned about alienating the mother and other people of her ethnicity from modern medicine rather than make them understand about the harmful effects of the cultural practices on the health and provide them guidance and education .