A group of expert contributors have provided perspectives on areas of common concern to the anaesthetist and intensivist, and nursing staff, giving both the clinical and theoretical perspective. By understanding the underlying principles, the reader will be able to create their own framework from which to reach a decision. It is anticipated that the arguments given may challenge the reader's personal ethical stance. Those who are new to ethics will find the examples given help them to see how these underlying principles are put into everyday practice.Expert contributors from around the world discuss ethical issues in anaesthesia and intensive care in all of the commonly encountered areas such as: Consent Patient confidentiality Fitness to practice Whistle-blowing on colleagues Clinical research Maternal-foetal conflicts Children Palliative care Withdrawing and withholding therapy Euthanasia Infectious disease control Each chapter focuses on the needs of the clinician, presenting both the underlying principles and how these are used in practice Real cases are used to illustrate the principles, and to highlight how these are interpreted in each case