Ethical issues in treatment of patients with end-stage renal disease.

Ethical issues in the care and treatment of patients with end-stage renal disease are illustrative of problems that confront social workers who practice in a medical setting. Chief among these are dilemmas of informed consent and dealing with the problem patient. Patient advocacy may pose a conflict between respect for a patient's autonomy and acting in the patient's best medical interest. Pressures of resource allocation on a dialysis unit also require a just resolution.