Interventional Cardiology, 2011 (vol. 10), Suppl. B
Ethical and legal challenges in acute cardiology
Jan Vojáček
Interv Akut Kardiol 2011; 10(Suppl. B): 4-5 
Significant improvements in care result in prolonging the life of patients with heart diseases. On the other hand, however, it is not uncommon for a cardiac intensive care physician to be faced with the need to decide not to initiate or to discontinue intensive treatment. In addition, acute situations can be reversed in a number of heart diseases and the patient converted to a chronic stage of disease; however, over time, all treatment options become gradually exhausted and an increasing number of individuals live to reach irreversible end-stage disease in which treatment fails and it is necessary to prepare for its termination. All of this...
Physician and patient, citizen and institution
Jan Sokol
Interv Akut Kardiol 2011; 10(Suppl. B): 6-7
The article briefly discusses two dilemma situations commonly encountered by physicians: first, the significance and purpose of informed consent and, second, the dilemma of an employed person who, in addition to being committed to the patient, also has a responsibility towards their superiors and employer.
Ethical issues in current intensive care in cardiology
Jiří Mareą
Interv Akut Kardiol 2011; 10(Suppl. B): 8-12
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...
The critically ill patient in terms of medical ethics
Jiří ©imek
Interv Akut Kardiol 2011; 10(Suppl. B): 13-14
The main ethical demand in medicine is professionalism of all health care providers. In last decades it is necessary to consult with patient on all planned health care procedures. In intensive care is difficult to communicate with a patient, but it is not possible to miss it. A new difficult problem in last decades is growing disagreement with prolongation of life of critical patients at any cost. Therefore author highly appreciate elaboration of Consensus Guidelines for the provision of Palliative Care in Patients with irreversible Organ failure. Authors of the text prepared a good stimulus for discussion of the problem and they also elaborated...
Palliative care in intensive medicine
Renata Pařízková
Interv Akut Kardiol 2011; 10(Suppl. B): 15-17
In the recent years, there has been a significant progress in medicine with new technologies being applied in all branches of medicine including intensive medicine, which not only allows to favourably affect previously unmanageable conditions, but also poses new medical, ethical and economic problems. A widely accepted goal of intensive care is to preserve the life and health of the patient. When these goals cannot be achieved, the principle of transition from intensive to palliative care/treatment is followed, aimed at eliminating pain, discomfort and suffering while preserving human dignity and meeting the physical, mental, social and spiritual...
The critically ill patient from a lawyer’s perspective
©árka ©peciánová, Miroslav ©pecián
Interv Akut Kardiol 2011; 10(Suppl. B): 18-21
Emergency and crisis (in other words critical) situations are certainly not what one would deliberately seek out. However, they cannot always be avoided and coping with them is an integral part of life. Sometimes, dealing with them becomes a profession or even mission as is the case with physicians who strive to help a critically ill patient. Their role is not easy at all because, in addition to medically coping with the situation, they also have to be able to cope with all its other aspects, ranging from psychological to legal and ethical. The aim of this article is to highlight some of the legal issues that may be related to the condition...