09-05-2011, 04:04 PM
A 3-year-old child is brought to your clinic with a fever and stiff neck. You are quite certain the child has meningitis. When you discuss the need for a spinal tap and antibiotic treatment, the parents refuse permission, saying, " We'd prefer to take him home and have our minister pray over him." How should the physician handle this?
a. The physician should do what the parents request to take the child home.
b. The physician should call the parent’s religious leader and have him come to the hospital before providing standard medical therapy.
c. The physician has no duty to provide treatment to the child when the parents refuse treatment.
d. When efforts to obtain parental permission to treat the patient fail, the physician is justified in seeking legal help or may be legally authorized to proceed with the procedure and treatment of the child.
a. The physician should do what the parents request to take the child home.
b. The physician should call the parent’s religious leader and have him come to the hospital before providing standard medical therapy.
c. The physician has no duty to provide treatment to the child when the parents refuse treatment.
d. When efforts to obtain parental permission to treat the patient fail, the physician is justified in seeking legal help or may be legally authorized to proceed with the procedure and treatment of the child.