Primum non nocere.

摘要

First (or above all), do no harm. This axiom has been one of the guiding principles of medicine, often attributed to Hippocrates, but likely not in use until introduced by Thomas Sydenham in England in the 1860s.1 The basic principle is that, given the medical situation, it may be better to avoid doing something that may harm the patient than simply to follow an expected course. This principle is not universal, however, and it is often necessary to select a series of actions that may put the patient in temporary peril to achieve an outcome that is beneficial. Examples of placing patients at.risk to improve their overall outcome are surgery and cancer treatments.