Citation

Booth M. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine 2007; 8(1): 36-39.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1053/j.mpaic.2006.10.012

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Critical care medicine involves resolving a number of interlinking ethical issues. These include consent, organ donation and end-of-life issues. The legal status of advance directives or 'living will' is changing and is now becoming part of UK law for the first time. End-of-life issues continue to cause clinicians concern. In this article various aspects of withholding or withdrawing treatment as well as the use of opioids at the end of life are discussed. References to recent pertinent legal cases are given to illustrate the issues covered. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

human; law; resuscitation; United Kingdom; assisted suicide; medical ethics; ethics; critical care; review; euthanasia; interpersonal communication; informed consent; medicolegal aspect; priority journal; opiate; medical decision making; terminal care; brain death; living will; treatment withdrawal; intensive care; benzodiazepine derivative; physician attitude; drug utilization; organ donor; justice; respiration depression; patient autonomy; beneficence; consent; end of life