Is it ethical to practice intubations on the deceased?

One-third to one-half of emergency departments in the United States and Australia perform endotracheal intubations (ETI's) on the newly dead. Sixty-three percent of emergency medicine and 58% of neonatal critical care training programs allowed procedures to be performed on patients after death; only 10% of these programs required family consent for this practice. This article reviews the arguments for and against this ethical issue. A case study is included to highlight the issue's complexity, and to assist readers in identifying their beliefs (and those of their institutions) about the tissue. An overview of ethically related terms, definitions, and theories and a decision-making model are included to establish a knowledgeable baseline for dealing with any ethical issue.