“I Just Really Don’t Know How to Answer”: Ethical Dilemmas in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Rebekka DePew, Jessica Turnbull, Kemberlee Bonnet, David Schlundt, Rebecca Propper, Palliative and Supportive Care, Emory University, Pediatric Critical Care, Vanderbilt University, Qualitative Research Core, Vanderbilt University, Pediatric Critical Care, University of Chicago

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®

Published online on July 31, 2026

Abstract

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Ahead of Print.
ContextPediatric Critical Care is inherently ethically complex, as clinicians must navigate high risk/high reward decision-making, uncertainty in prognosis and outcomes, and potential tensions between the priorities of different decision-makers and teams. ...