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Life-and-Death Decisions in the Midst of Uncertainty

  • Chapter
Compelled Compassion

Part of the book series: Contemporary Issues in Biomedicine, Ethics, and Society ((CIBES))

Abstract

A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is characterized by premature and disabled patients with life-threatening conditions, highly trained medical and nursing specialists, state-of-the-art medical technology, an endless stream of medical consultants, parents grappling with frightening possibilities, and numerous decisions that have to be made in the midst of impenetrable uncertainty. Whether made while looking down at an imperiled baby, in consultation with the baby’s parents, or in a conference room near the NICU, many of these decisions are crucial because a baby will continue to live or will die as a consequence of the decisions.

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Authors
  1. Robert F. Weir
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Biomedical Ethics, University of Minnesota, St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA

    Arthur L. Caplan

  2. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Robert H. Blank

  3. St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota

    Janna C. Merrick

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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Weir, R.F. (1992). Life-and-Death Decisions in the Midst of Uncertainty. In: Caplan, A.L., Blank, R.H., Merrick, J.C. (eds) Compelled Compassion. Contemporary Issues in Biomedicine, Ethics, and Society. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-0409-1_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-0409-1_1

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-6749-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-0409-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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