Interv Akut Kardiol 2011; 10(Suppl. B): 8-12

Ethical issues in current intensive care in cardiology

Jiří Mareš

Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Lékařská fakulta v Hradci Králové, Ústav sociálního lékařství, Praha

The review study did not deal with the ethical dilemmas that apply to emergency cardiology, and concentrated on the ethical aspects of

routine ICU care. It focused on issues that take into account the hospitalized patient and his family members. Based on available literature,

it characterized ethically correct decisions in cardiology. It summarized the knowledge of patient experience with previous hospital treatment

and highlighted the possibility of posttraumatic growth in patients. A great deal of attention was paid to the attitude of family

members to ethically appropriate treatment. Guidelines for family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation were presented.

Strategies by which the family tries to cope with the hospitalization of their loved one at an ICU were mentioned. Recommendations for

ethically sensitive communication with family members were summarized. In conclusion, an ethically complex issue of moral distress of

healthcare professionals in their own workplace was addressed.

Keywords: cardiology, ICU, ethics, physician, patient, relatives, communication, posttraumatic growth, moral distress

Published: June 1, 2011  Show citation