Ethical issues surrounding the practice of neuroanaesthesia

Medical ethics is now recognised to be an important specialty within the medical curriculum. In recent times the number and complexity of ethical issues have increased in proportion to the greater breadth of medical interventions now possible. The neuroanaesthetist especially must be aware not only of the ethical problems he will inevitably encounter but he must be prepared to fully involve himself in the debate and so needs to acquaint himself with a knowledge of the principles underlying the ethical arguments. In this chapter it will be seen that beneficence may not be as simple as it sounds. Various commonly encountered clinical situations are explored and some ethical guidance offered.