Nonmaleficence 

(1) Overtreatment & Overdiagnosis

• Providing unnecessary tests, procedures, or medications that expose patients to risk without real benefit.

• Example: Prescribing antibiotics for viral infections, leading to resistance and side effects.

• "A surgeon can perform a risky procedure that could save a patient’s life — but there’s a 40% chance it will cause permanent disability. Should they operate?" 

(2) Ethical Concerns in Experimental Treatments

• Offering high-risk treatments without adequate safety data, especially in desperate or vulnerable patients.

• Example: Unregulated stem cell therapies.

(3) Medical Errors & Patient Safety

• Mistakes in surgery, diagnosis, or medication are a leading cause of preventable harm and death worldwide.

• Example: Wrong-site surgeries, incorrect dosages, or delayed diagnosis.

(4) Unsafe or Poor-Quality Medical Devices

• Defective implants, faulty diagnostic equipment, or insufficiently tested technologies harming patients.

• Example: Pacemaker malfunctions or recalled hip replacements.