Methods
Using philosophical methods, the authors explore what compels people to
present to emergent medical attention and why altruism may not offer
physicians a sustainable way to address the vulnerabilities that occur
in such situations. They then present the concept of hospitality from a
Derridean perspective and use it to interpret a narrative case of an
on-call paediatrician caring for an infant with bronchiolitis to
demonstrate how this approach may be practically implemented in the
acute care hospital context.