[Answered]: and scenario: A patient enters your Emergency…

Question and scenario: A patient enters your Emergency Department with a severe case of osteomyelitis of both legs (if you are unfamiliar with this diagnosis, please do some brief research to familiarize yourself with the disease). The attending physician recommends immediate amputation of both legs. The patient refuses, but states that the reason for his problem is there are Martians in his basement and they are sticking rods through his floor, injuring his legs. The physician believes the patient is mentally ill and sends the patient for a psychiatric evaluation. However, the psychiatric evaluation comes back as “sane”. The patient is discharged from the Emergency Department. Why did the Emergency Department send the patient for a psychiatric evaluation? Why might the patient have been diagnosed “sane” upon evaluation? Why was the patient discharged? Did the patient have the right to refuse the life-saving surgery? Upon what principle(s) of ethics are you basing your response?