Case A patient who survived a gunshot wound to a femoral artery you treated yesterday is doing well and is very grateful. He is a security guard who got involved in a gunfight with criminals. He recently was under the dose of a strong analgesic, which relaxed inhibitions and loosened his tongue. He asks you if he can confess something that needs to be kept strictly confidential, and you promise to do so. He remarks on how fortunate he is. He narrates an incident from his youth when he killed a man over a drug deal. But another man was convicted instead of him while he lived in a big house. What should you do?
Give the information to the authorities. Forget it. Professionalism requires complete confidentiality. Forget it. Nothing will happen, and he’ll come after you if you report him to law enforcement. Ask for a formal ethics consult. Forget it. He has assumed a legitimate life, and…
