For many physicians, lack of understanding about brain death leads to confusion and muddles interactions with patients’ loved ones at the end of life.

Criteria in statutes and tests used to diagnose brain death don’t always jibe, and this can undermine public trust in death pronouncements.

Differentiating between best palliative care options and the curative and palliative potential of surgery is key to developing dual intentional clarity.

Preventing bad outcomes for teens and their offspring was the impetus behind confidential care for reproductive health. Requiring parental involvement created an obstacle to the provision of necessary care.

Refusal of pediatric euthanasia can be considered iatrogenic insofar as it inadvertently prolongs patient suffering, but attitudes differ cross-culturally.

Doctors should do everything they can to protect an adolescent's confidentiality, but lying to the patient's parents is not acceptable.

When adolescents seek emergency contraception in the emergency room, social judgment on the part of clinicians can hamper treatment.

The AMA Code of Medical Ethics' opinions on confidential care for sexually active minors and physicians' exercise of conscience in refusal of services.

The AMA Code of Medical Ethics' opinions on organ transplantation.

Testing everyone for everything identifies more fetal conditions, but confusion persists about whether clinicians should leave screening decisions to patients.