Informed consent in emergency medicine: ethics under fire.

Many ethical issues in emergency medicine involve the question of informed consent. In this article, the ethical basis for informed consent, the essential elements of a morally valid informed consent, and the inadequacy of the law as a moral guide for informed consent are discussed. The ways in which the nature of emergency medicine affects the application of moral principles are examined, and specific guidelines for assessing a patient's decision-making capacity regarding informed consent are provided.