BACKGROUND: Little is known about what role physicians take in the decision-making process about life support in intensive care units. OBJECTIVE: To determine how responsibility is balanced between physicians and surrogates ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe how medical residents discuss do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders with patients. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Inpatient medical wards of one university tertiary care center, one urban ...

Questionnaires completed at two San Francisco health facilities by 118 male homosexuals with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) revealed that, while the majority had thought about life-sustaining treatment and choice ...

In June 1997, the US Supreme Court unanimously decided that competent, terminally ill patients have no general constitutional right to commit suicide or to obtain assistance in committing suicide. Thus, the broad prohibitions ...