Abstract
The review study did not deal with the ethical dilemmas that apply to emergency cardiology, and concentrated on the ethical aspects of routine ICU care. It focused on issues that take into account the hospitalized patient and his family members.
Based on available literature, it characterized ethically correct decisions in cardiology. It summarized the knowledge of patient experience with previous hospital treatment and highlighted the possibility of posttraumatic growth in patients.
A great deal of attention was paid to the attitude of family members to ethically appropriate treatment. Guidelines for family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation were presented.
Strategies by which the family tries to cope with the hospitalization of their loved one at an ICU were mentioned. Recommendations for ethically sensitive communication with family members were summarized.
In conclusion, an ethically complex issue of moral distress of healthcare professionals in their own workplace was addressed.