Medical, ethical, and legal aspects of end-of-life dilemmas in the intensive care unit

Abstract

Physicians in the intensive care unit face a myriad of ethical dilemmas involving end-of-life care, yet they receive only minimal training about their jurisprudential obligations, and misconceptions about legal responsibilities abound. In particular, significant uncertainty exists among critical care physicians as to ethical and legal obligations for terminally ill patients. This paper presents 3 hypothetical cases to elucidate the medical, ethical, and legal considerations in common end-of-life situations encountered in the intensive care unit.