Miguel A. Martínez-Camacho, Servicio de Fisioterapia en Áreas Críticas, Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga, Ciudad de México, México
Dalia S. Lugo-García, Servicio de Fisioterapia en Áreas Críticas, Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga, Ciudad de México;; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Tecnológica de México, Campus Marina Nacional, Ciudad de México; México
Rafael Salazar-Pérez, Instituto Profesional en Terapias y Humanidades, Puebla. México
Physiotherapy in the intensive care unit faces great challenges due to the pathophysiological complexity of the critically ill patient, the high technification of care and the constant bioethical dilemmas during clinical practice. The physiotherapist must base her actions on bioethical principles to guarantee respect for the patient’s autonomy, provide interventions with the highest level of evidence, reducing adverse events, in addition to fairly distributing the available resources. The questioning of clinical practice from bioethics will allow for a more humane clinical practice, with joint decision-making and a higher level of satisfaction on the part of the patient or family. The objective of this article is to provide a general perspective of bioethics in the practice of the physiotherapist who cares for patients in the intensive care unit.
Keywords: Physiotherapy. Bioethics. Intensive care unit.