Background: Investigating the context of trauma and acute care surgery, the article aims to understand the

factors that can enhance some ethical aspects, namely the importance of patient consent, the perceptiveness of the ethical role of the trauma leader, and the perceived importance of ethics as an educational subject.

Methods: The article employs an international questionnaire promoted by the World Society of Emergency Surgery.

Results: Based on analysis of 402 completed questionnaires from surgeons in 72 countries, the three main ethical topics are examined through the lenses of gender, membership in an academic or non-academic institution, official trauma team status, and a diverse group. In general terms, the results highlight greater attention among surgeons from academic institutions, official trauma teams, and diverse groups.

Conclusions: Our results underline that some organizational factors (e.g., the fact that the team belongs to a university context or is more diverse) might lead to the development of a higher sensitivity to ethical matters. Embracing cultural diversity requires trauma teams to address diverse mindsets. Organizations should, therefore, consider those elements in defining their organizational procedures.

Level of evidence: Trauma and acute care teams work under tremendous pressure and complex circumstances, with their members needing to make ethical decisions quickly. The international survey allowed to shed light on how team assembly decisions might represent an opportunity to coordinate team member actions and increase performance.

Keywords: Trauma surgery, Ethics, Acute care surgery, Diversity, Team dynamics