Many AIDS patients will at some point need treatments such as mechanical ventilation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Professionals who care for AIDS patients should solicit the patient's wishes regarding the future course of treatment and discuss the future use of life-sustaining treatment. Should a patient become mentally incompetent during the course of the illness and be unable to provide rational input at the time clinical decisions must be made, traditionally the patient's family is consulted for guidance and consent. In cases where family members disagree about the cessation of treatment, the physician in charge should continue treatment until agreement is reached or a court order resolves the disagreement. California has a law whereby adults can execute a durable power of attorney for health care; this confers legal authority on a person appointed by a patient to make health care decisions on the patient's behalf should he/she become incompetent. Clinicians can also follow a patient's written advance directive about medical treatment without fear of adverse legal consequences. 11 notes.