CURRENTS: Consent for Brain Death Determination - the ends justify the means... or it does not.

The purpose of informed consent, as it exists now, is primarily to maintain patient autonomy, but additional benefits include the protection of patients, avoidance of fraud, and promotion of rational decisions, amongst others. It is now considered both an ethical and legal obligation which should, at a minimum, always include: 1) the nature of the procedure, 2) the risks and benefits of the procedure, 3) reasonable alternatives, and 4) risks and benefits of alternatives, with an assessment of comprehension of these elements (1). This week Dr Lauren Koffman is joined by Clotilde Balucani, MD and Julia Durrant, MD two of the authors of the recent Currents article Consent for Brain Death Determination - the ends justify the means... or it does not.