Ethics and the Emergency Care of the Seriously Ill and Injured Elderly Patient

Abstract Ethics in western medicine is governed by four basic principles: nonmaleficence, beneficence, autonomy, and justice. Acutely ill and injured elderly patients often present ethical challenges to the physician as they attempt to balance conflicting ethical priorities. Healthcare decisions in the elderly are made more complex by numerous factors such as advances in surgical care that may lengthen life yet worsen quality of life, allocation of resources, disparities of care, the presence of dementia, and need for surrogate decision makers. Communication is a key factor in providing the best possible care to the acutely ill and injured elderly patient.
Source: Current Geriatrics Reports - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research