Drawing on multiple interconnected scriptural and spiritual sources, the Jewish tradition of ethical reflection is intricate and nuanced. This book presents scholarly Jewish perspectives on suffering, healing, life, and death, and it compares them with contemporary Christian and secular views.

The Jewish perspectives presented in this book are mainly those of orthodox scholars, with the responses representing primarily Christian-Catholic points of view. Readers unfamiliar with the Jewish tradition will find here a practical introduction to its major voices, from Spinoza to Jewish religious law. The contributors explore such issues as active and passive euthanasia, abortion, assisted reproduction, genetic screening, and health care delivery.

Offering a thoughtful and thought-provoking dialogue between Jewish and Christian scholars, Jewish and Catholic Bioethics is an important contribution to ecumenical understanding in the realm of health care.

It is estimated that up to thirteen percent of hospital admissions result from the adverse effects of diagnosis or treatment, and that anywhere from 44,000 to 98,000 hospital deaths annually are the result of errors. The obligation to "do no harm" has been central to medical conduct since ancient times, yet iatrogenic illness and medical error have now come to be recognized as significant risk factors in health care delivery. This book integrates history, philosophy, medical ethics and empirical data to examine the concept and phenomenon of medical harm. Issues covered include medical error, appropriateness of care, acceptable risk and practitioner accountability, and recommendations for limiting iatrogenic harm.

A. !, FADEN, K. KRAFr, and K. O. STUMPE Following the discovery of the pentapeptide enkephalins in 1975, a number of endogenous opioid peptides and opiate receptors have been identified. Endogenous opioids and opiate-receptor mechanisms have been implicated in a variety of regulat- ory and dysregulatory functions including analgesia, cardiovascular regulation, shock, hypertension, traumatic spinal cord and brain injury, stroke, immune func- tion, feeding behavior, diuresis, gastrointestinal motility, and respiratory control, among others. Over the past 10 years, many studies have demonstrated a relationship between endogenous opioids and the cardiovascular system under both homeostatic and pathophysiological conditions. Opioids and opiate receptors have been found in various cardioregulatory sites within the brain and spinal cord, as well as in peripheral tissues such as sympathetic ganglia, adrenal gland, and heart. Both endogenous opioids and exogenous opiates have been shown to produce potent cardiovascular effects following central nervous system or systemic administration. Opiate-receptor antagonists have been demonstrated to reverse hypotension from sepsis, hypo- volemia, and anaphylaxis; such studies have been used to infer activity of endogenous opioid systems in shock. Changes in tissue concentrations of endogenous opioids and! or opiate receptors have been found after shock and hypertension, further implying a role for opioid systems in the etiology of these conditions. In addition, modification of opiate receptor regulation, receptor binding, or opioid metabolism has also been used to establish a potential role for endogenous opioid systems in cardiovascular control and dyscontrol.