The review board is also staffed by doctors and ethicists. Doctors as a rule mean well, but, as I said up top, first do no harm. Doctors who are involved in research often have irrational convictions that their avenue of research is the right one. This is coupled with potential financial gain if their research bears fruit.
Doctors are human, and may be motivated (subconsciously or overtly) by financial gain vs. sound research.
Example:
http://www.worklossdatainstitute.verioiponly.com/odgtwc/low_back_files/Deyo_NEJM_2004.pdf
Painful septic death might well be more miserable than the death they’d otherwise have. It likely shortened their lifespan. I don’t blame the patients at all. These kind of studies can and should happen, but nobody gets to cut corners. The doctors should have known better.
