The emotional face of harm

Nonmaleficence refers to the maxim Primum non nocere, "Above all, do no harm." Nonmaleficence is an important ethical principle, especially in the face of advanced technology and other superordinary or extraordinary therapeutic interventions available to patients today. Chronic illness poses challenges in balancing the benefits with the burdens of therapeutic intervention. A discussion of nonmaleficence as a principle to consider in chronic conditions is presented.