title: Differentiating ethical decisions from clinical standards.
abstract: Clinical standards recommend treatment for patients with different types of critical illnesses. Yet, clinical judgments alone cannot be the sole basis for treatment decisions. This article describes how to distinguish between judgments based on clinical standards and those based on ethical principles.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wicclair
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D026686:Beneficence; D032781:Codes of Ethics; D003422:Critical Care / Q000592:standards*; D003657:Decision Making; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000592:standards*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012945:Social Values; D028761:Withholding Treatment