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Ethics

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Oncologic Emergency Medicine

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Abstract

Bioethical foundational theories (e.g., utilitarianism, deontology) and mid-level principles (e.g., autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, distributive justice) as well as the virtues embodied in emergency medicine (e.g., truth telling) help guide clinicians through some of the most difficult situations they face. Emergency department (ED) patients with hematologic-oncologic illnesses often present with knotty situations involving patient autonomy, decision-making capacity, surrogates and their decisions, end-of-life issues, or demands and concerns that involve bioethical dilemmas. Emergency physicians must be prepared to address these issues, with little time for reflection. Familiarity with the rapid decision-making model can help them find at least short-term resolutions. The model, based on case-based reasoning (casuistry), employs well-known ethical principles in a manner designed for emergency clinicians to use easily when ethical dilemmas present. Just as they prepare for other clinical situations, emergency physicians should also prepare to face bioethical dilemmas that will inevitably occur.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Kenneth V. Iserson

Authors
  1. Kenneth V. Iserson
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Correspondence to Kenneth V. Iserson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Former Professor and Founding Chair (Retired), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Knox H. Todd

  2. Professor and Chair, Department of Radiation Medicine, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA

    Charles R. Thomas, Jr.

  3. Professor and Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Kumar Alagappan

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Iserson, K.V. (2021). Ethics. In: Todd, K.H., Thomas, Jr., C.R., Alagappan, K. (eds) Oncologic Emergency Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67123-5_64

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67123-5_64

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-67122-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-67123-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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