Treatments not specifically listed in the living will: the ethical dilemmas

Because of publicity regarding living wills and laws on required request, the number of patients with them has increased. Consequently, related ethical dilemmas are also becoming more common. One example of such an ethical dilemma occurs when a living will fails to describe the current patient situation. The following case illustrates this type of problem, one which critical care nurses are likely to encounter more often over the next few years.