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Ethics and the ICU

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Principles of Adult Surgical Critical Care

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Abstract

Ethical issues in the ICU seem to be growing with the increasing complexity of medical treatments. Despite many bioethicists, clinicians, academicians, and others attempting to resolve these conflicts, we don’t seem to be any closer to solutions. This chapter will review several key principles and ethical situations in the ICU including withdrawing and withholding, DNR, futility, advance directives and POLST, artificial nutrition and hydration, dialysis, and organ donation. This chapter will also discuss the differences between resources available to help resolve these conflicts: ethics consults, palliative medicine, and conflict resolution.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Trauma Medical Director, Terre Haute Regional Hospital, Terre Haute, IN, 48702, USA

    Christine C. Toevs MD

Authors
  1. Christine C. Toevs MD
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Correspondence to Christine C. Toevs MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Niels D. Martin

  2. Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Lewis J. Kaplan

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Toevs, C.C. (2016). Ethics and the ICU. In: Martin, N.D., Kaplan, L.J. (eds) Principles of Adult Surgical Critical Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33341-0_42

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33341-0_42

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33339-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33341-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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