How to treat patients who won't accept treatment?

[FocusOD]

So I was reading this article about a six-year-old that developed a high fever accompanied by violent vomiting and convulsions while she was at school. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital. The attending physician made a diagnosis of meningitis and requests permission to initiate treatment from the parents. Both parents are Christian Scientists, and they insisted that no medical treatment be given to her. The physician initiates treatment anyway, and the parents later sue the physician and the hospital. How do you resolve a dilemma like this?

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[FutureCTDoc]

Cross posted in Pre-Osteopathic.

 

[Catalystik]

In the case of a child with a life-threatening condition, one can get an emergency court order which takes away the parent's rights to withhold treatment.

 

[HolySmokes]

So I was reading this article about a six-year-old that developed a high fever accompanied by violent vomiting and convulsions while she was at school. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital. The attending physician made a diagnosis of meningitis and requests permission to initiate treatment from the parents. Both parents are Christian Scientists, and they insisted that no medical treatment be given to her. The physician initiates treatment anyway, and the parents later sue the physician and the hospital. How do you resolve a dilemma like this?

Did you get that out of Munson's Medical Ethics text? I think I read that for class the other day. Just curious.

 

[werd]

in a life-threatening situation, you treat the child without parental consent. this is a popular step 2 question.

 

[BBender716]

in a life-threatening situation, you treat the child without parental consent. this is a popular step 2 question.

with or without emergency court order...? (just out of curiousity)

 

[ILikeDrugs]

You treat the child if they are in danger. Just like you would remove a child from the parents home if the parents are endangering their children. You don't ask, you save the kid.

By the way, what happened to the child? If the child got better, the parent's are friggin idiots for taking the doc and hospital to court.

 

[Aaja]

Ethically as a doctor you're supposed to treat the child anyways. If you get sued, you'll present your defense and probably win the lawsuit given the circumstances.

In real practice from what I've seen, the chief of that specific service has to contact the local government explaining the ethical issue and explain to the parents that they will have to sign a special consent form also addressing the government that if the child dies or suffers from permanent damage because the parents choose not to accept the treatment, the hospital and government are not held responsible and can't be sued.

I didn't have a pediatric case, but I had a pregnant woman who was a Jehova Witness that urgently needed a blood transfusion and she signed the document stating she accepts the risks and cannot hold the hospital and it's staff liable in case she dies. She was fully explained many times about the risks of not receiving treatment, her relatives were informed about it and the patient even talked to a priest who agreed that she wasn't going to accept the blood under religious grounds.

However, ethics classes will always state you must treat the patient even risking getting sued.

 

[Catalystik]

I would wonder why the parents even went to the hospital if they were going to refuse any treatment.

 

[gujuDoc]

So I was reading this article about a six-year-old that developed a high fever accompanied by violent vomiting and convulsions while she was at school. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital. The attending physician made a diagnosis of meningitis and requests permission to initiate treatment from the parents. Both parents are Christian Scientists, and they insisted that no medical treatment be given to her. The physician initiates treatment anyway, and the parents later sue the physician and the hospital. How do you resolve a dilemma like this?

Wow so this is going to sound weird, but today I had this biomed informational class in the library at BU med where we were presented with a similar case.

 

[kami333]

I would wonder why the parents even went to the hospital if they were going to refuse any treatment.

They didn't take the child, he/she was at school and they sent them there.

Ethics/exam answer: treat (aka better to be sued for acting). Real life answer: ? (whatever the hospital lawyer recommends)

 

[J ROD]

So I was reading this article about a six-year-old that developed a high fever accompanied by violent vomiting and convulsions while she was at school. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital. The attending physician made a diagnosis of meningitis and requests permission to initiate treatment from the parents. Both parents are Christian Scientists, and they insisted that no medical treatment be given to her. The physician initiates treatment anyway, and the parents later sue the physician and the hospital. How do you resolve a dilemma like this?

dont tell them....ignorance is bliss!!

 

[MilkmanAl]

Please avoid posting the same thread in multiple forums. Those interested in discussing this matter may do so here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=696302