Primum non nocere
Primum non nocere is a Latin phrase that means "first, do no harm". The phrase is sometimes recorded as primum nil nocere. Non-maleficence, which is derived from the maxim, is one of the principal precepts attributed to the Hippocratic Oath[1] and bioethics that all students in medicine are taught in school and is a fundamental principle throughout the world. Another way to state it is that "given an existing problem, it may be better not to do something, or even to do nothing, than to risk causing more harm than good." It reminds Doctors to consider the possible harm that any intervention might do. It is invoked when debating the use of an intervention that carries an obvious risk of harm but a less certain chance of benefit. Non-maleficence is often contrasted with its corollary, beneficence.
Notes
- β Although "first, do no harm" is attributed to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, it isn't a part of the Hippocratic Oath at all. It is actually from another of his works called "Of the Epidemics".