Virtual Mentor. October 2000, Volume 2, Number 10.

Cases in Law and Ethics

Testing Olympic Athletes for Drug Use

October Case Scenario

Dr T is the team physician for the Utopian College basketball team. The team has been highly competitive during their regular season and has a good chance of receiving a bid from the NIT. He has been treating AC, one of the starting members of the team and a star player. Both the student body and the coaching staff feel AC has a serious shot at being drafted by a professional team. AC has been suffering from exertional chest pain after a couple of strenuous practice sessions. Although AC has dismissed the pain as anxiety-related, he did faint after one of the practice sessions prompting the team physician to request that AC be examined by a cardiologist. AC claims he feels fine and is concerned that if he sees a cardiologist his chances of playing may be derailed. AC's family history indicates that his paternal grandfather had a premature sudden death due to a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

What are Dr T's ethical duties toward AC?

See AMA Code of Medical Ethics Opinion 3.06.

Related Articles

  • Pfister GC, Puffer JC, Maron BJ. Preparticipation cardiovascular screening for US collegiate student-athletes. JAMA 2000; 283:1597.
  • Carek PJ, Futrell M ATC. Athletes' view of the preparticipation physical examination: attitudes toward certain health screening questions. Arch. Fam. Med. 1999; 8:307.
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