Recent thinking about end of life issues.
Frequently, ethical dilemmas for clinicians in ICU focus on the conflict between the sanctity of life principle and other important ethical principles, such as patient autonomy or quality of life. Therefore, this chapter seeks to reveal the ethical tension between the sanctity of life and other competing ethical obligations, clearly outlining how the law in reality is making decisions and what a clinician's duties are in end of life issues.
Hale
Catherine
C
Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Department of Primary Care and General Practice, Birmingham University, Edgbaston, Birmingham B 15 2TT, UK. halec@adf.bham.ac.uk
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003422:Critical Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010819:Physician's Role; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006113:United Kingdom; D026712:Value of Life; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence