Ethics and research in critical care

Background: The past few years have witnessed several controversies regarding the ethics of conducting research involving critically ill patients, and such research is ethically challenging. Discussion: Research ethics is a changing field, one that is influenced by empirical data, contemporary events, and new ideas regarding aspects of clinical trial design and protection of human subjects. We describe recent thoughts regarding several aspects of research ethics in the critical care context. Conclusion: The ability of the research community to conduct research ethically and to maintain public trust would benefit from heightened awareness to the principles and requirements that govern such research.