Informed consent in emergency research: consensus statement from the Coalition Conference of Acute Resuscitation and Critical Care Researchers

Article Abstract:

Regulations for emergency research on patients who are unable to provide consent must not only protect patients' rights but also allow access to new, potentially beneficial treatments. Participants at the 1994 Coalition Conference of Acute Resuscitation and Critical Care Researchers issued a consensus statement that recommended regulatory changes for informed consent in emergency research. Patients in critical condition who are unable to give consent for emergency research are vulnerable. Safeguards are needed to protect against research risks while ensuring access to potentially beneficial treatments. Federal agencies must develop compatible, complete regulations to address emergency research on such patients. Studies must entail incremental risk relative to the course of the medical condition or to the standard treatment for the condition. As soon as possible, patients or their representatives must be informed of entry into the study and afforded the options of continued participation or withdrawal.

Standards, Research, Informed consent (Medical law), Informed consent, Emergency medicine

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Decisions Regarding Treatment of Seriously III Newborns

Article Abstract:

Doctors should consult an ethics committee or medical ethicist as well as other health professionals and parents when deciding how to care for seriously ill newborn infants. In the past, some treatments were withheld from infants with Down syndrome or spina bifida. However, the "Baby Doe," case in the 1980s led to legislation labeling the undertreatment of these children as child abuse. This in turn led to overtreatment of these children without considering the wishes of the parents or the child's prognosis. A 1999 study found that doctors and nurses were more likely than parents to rate a serious illness as being worse than death.

Care and treatment, Ethical aspects, Refusal to treat (Medicine), Critically ill children

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Patient Access to Information on Clinicians Infected With Blood-Borne Pathogens

Article Abstract:

A proposal to drop the requirement for HIV-infected health care workers to disclose their status to patients needs further examination. The argument for the change is that the risk of transmission is very low and disclosure violates the health care workers privacy and civil rights.

HIV infection, HIV infections, Diseases, Medical personnel, Disease transmission, Blood-borne diseases, Bloodborne diseases

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