Informed consent for procedures in the intensive care unit: ethical and practical considerations.

Abstract

There is increasing interest in procedural consent (informed consent for invasive procedures) in the intensive care unit. We reviewed studies of procedural consent and show that it is not yet routine practice to obtain consent before performing invasive procedures on ICU patients. We considered logistical barriers to procedural consent in the critical care environment and the ethical implications of introducing routine procedural consent to the ICU.