The most important ethical problem faced by emergency physicians in end-of-life care is making ethical decisions on issues such as whether to perform resuscitation and continue life-sustaining treatment in cases where the patients are not competent to make decisions - a carer or family member has to on their behalf. Some argue that this is unethical, and can lead to being selfish; prolonging the patient's life for fear of losing them sooner, when it is against their wishes.
