Three Patients: International Perspective on Intensive Care at the End of Life

by David W. Crippen (Editor), Jack K. Kilcullen (Editor), David F. Kelly (Editor)

This volume explores how the scarce resources of intensive care units should be distributed. Three hypothetical patients, each with a different chance of survival, desire intensive care. A multinational panel of experienced critical care physicians offers assessments of the patients' conditions and outlines approaches to treatment. These approaches are then examined by academic medical experts and a medical ethicist, as well as from a legal perspective. The result is a well-rounded and introspective look at care for critically ill patients at or near the end of life.

297 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2002