Maintaining confidentiality and information-giving in intensive care

Confidentiality in the intensive care unit (ICU) is difficult to maintain. The needs of relatives to have information must be balanced against the patient's right to confidentiality. Disclosure of confidential information has to be warranted at an individual level. Guidelines to assist in this dilemma do not appear to have been developed. A need to address these issues as a matter of relative urgency is quantified.