This collection of thirtyone cases and commentaries addresses ethical problems commonly encountered by the average health care professional not just those working on such hightech specialties as organ transplants or genetic engineering. It deals with familiar issues that are rarely considered in ethics casebooks including such fundamental matters as informed consent patient decisionmaking capacity the role of the family and endoflife decisions. It also provides resources for basic but neglected ethical issues involving placement decisions for elderly or technologically dependent patients rehabilitation care confidentiality regarding AIDS professional responsibility and organizational and institutional ethics.