MME Scenario Collection


RTD: Treat Gonorrhea or battle wounds first?

Return to Duty (RTD) to influence triage?

"During the spring of 1943, while British troops in North Africa were preparing to invade Italy and Sicily, many in the ranks contracted gonorrhea after visiting local prostitutes.

The debate was whether penicillin should be used to treat these soldiers who had contracted gonorrhea rather than to treat soldiers suffering from battle wounds – ”the goal being to return to health as many soldiers as possible so that they could resume training for the imminent invasion."

Source: Adams, Markus P. 2008. "Triage Priorities and Military Physicians." In: Physicians at War, ed. by Fritz Allhoff, 215-236. Dordrecht: Springer, p.222.

Questions for the discussion of this scenario

1. Who/ Which group of patients should receive treatment and based on what ethical criteria?



Page ID: 44
Last updated: 04 Aug, 2020
Revision: 4
Military Medical Ethics Scenarios -> Dual loyalty and/or mixed obligations -> Fitness for duty -> RTD: Treat Gonorrhea or battle wounds first?
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