Parental Responsibility and Consent

A seven-year-old is on a school trip when she slips on the edge of the swimming pool and lands awkwardly on her wrist. She is taken to the local Accident and Emergency department by her teacher. X-rays reveal she has a nasty comminuted fracture of her radius, and the orthopedic team believes that it is going to need manipulation under anesthesia in order to achieve satisfactory realignment. Your surgical student has asked you to complete the necessary checklists and to complete the consent form. You try to explain to him that the parents are not present, but he reassures you that the teacher can sign instead since she is the accompanying adult.

• Who can consent to medical treatment for young children? For this child?
• What happens in an emergency?

Apply Theory (Specific Professional Healthcare Competencies + Clinical Medical Ethical Principles) to Practice in order to provide Optimal Patient-Centered Care (OPCC)

Clinical Ethics and Law, Second edition. Carolyn Johnston, Penelope Bradbury, Series editor: Janice Ryme