Introduction to the May 2018 issue on trauma surgery ethics.

Trauma care presumes informed consent for treatment, but resident supervision is required within a training structure of graduated responsibility.

Violence reduction efforts should be modeled on noncontagious diseases, which have as their root cause environmental determinants, not contagious diseases.

The AMA Code of Medical Ethics’ opinions related to urgent decision making.

Emergency research that requires exception from informed consent presents challenges in defining and reaching the at-risk community.

Patient transfers from critical care hospitals to trauma centers should be regarded as an integral part of care rather than as a detraction from it.

Family presence in the trauma bay is not entirely analogous to family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and requires a chaperone system.

Images of roadside memorials offer alternatives to representing patients in a trauma bay “scene.”

Family presence during resuscitation of a child remains controversial and disagreement persists about whether and when potential benefits outweigh risks.

Medical tourism creates an ethical dilemma for domestic physicians who wish to provide continuity of care but avoid liability in a malpractice suit.