An anxious 15-year-old male was an unrestrained passenger in a rollover crash. He denies pain and refuses treatment. Law enforcement is on scene and unable to contact the patient’s parents. What should you do?

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Multiple Choice

An anxious 15-year-old male was an unrestrained passenger in a rollover crash. He denies pain and refuses treatment. Law enforcement is on scene and unable to contact the patient’s parents. What should you do?

Minors generally cannot provide legally binding consent for medical treatment; a parent or guardian must give permission for non-emergency care. Even if the patient refuses, you must attempt to obtain consent from a parent or guardian because they are the appropriate decision-maker for a minor. In the field, you document your attempts to contact the parents and obtain their approval before proceeding. If the situation were time-critical and no guardian could be reached, you could rely on implied consent to treat to prevent harm, but the first and best step here is to seek parental consent.

Minors generally cannot provide legally binding consent for medical treatment; a parent or guardian must give permission for non-emergency care. Even if the patient refuses, you must attempt to obtain consent from a parent or guardian because they are the appropriate decision-maker for a minor. In the field, you document your attempts to contact the parents and obtain their approval before proceeding. If the situation were time-critical and no guardian could be reached, you could rely on implied consent to treat to prevent harm, but the first and best step here is to seek parental consent.

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