Abstract
Ethical issues arise in pediatric surgery when difficult decisions must be made in the presence of uncertainty or conflict, and stakeholders are concerned about quality of life, informed decision-making, and access to scarce medical resources. This chapter provides the pediatric surgeon with a framework for ethical decision-making that relies on a best interest standard and includes a definition of this standard and also the appropriate application and limitations of the best interest standard. Decision-making for adolescents includes a discussion of informed consent and assent. The best interest standard is discussed in the context of multiculturalism. Other issues include prenatal surgical consultation and fetal surgery, bariatric surgery, conflicts of interest, errors and innovation, and clinical research.
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Acknowledgments
This chapter is based on a previous published chapter – Glover, Jacqueline and Caniano, Donna. Ethical Considerations in Newborn Surgery in Newborn Surgery 3rd edition, Prem Puri editor. pages 228–236. CRC Press, November 2011.
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Glover, J.J., Nwomeh, B.C. (2019). Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Surgery. In: Puri, P. (eds) Pediatric Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38482-0_34-2
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Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Surgery- Published:
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38482-0_34-2
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Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Surgery- Published:
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38482-0_34-1