Question

"You are on-scene with a patient who was struck by a car on her bicycle. She is conscious and alert but has a possible closed right mid-shaft femur fracture. The patient advises you that she is sixteen but does not need parental consent to be treated. Which of the following situations would make this statement true?

A. She can be treated under implied consent because her injury may become life-threatening

B. She is not an American citizen, visiting on a student visa

C. She is an emancipated minor granted by the court

D. She is an orphaned minor who lives alone"

Answer 1

A 16-year-old with a femur fracture could legally consent to treatment if she is an emancipated minor. Emancipation gives minors the right to make medical decisions for themselves. In emergencies where consent cannot be obtained, implied consent may be used for lifesaving treatment.

Step-by-step explanation:

A 16-year-old patient struck by a car with a possible closed right mid-shaft femur fracture states she does not need parental consent for treatment. The following situation would make this statement true: She is an emancipated minor granted by the court. In this case, she would have the legal right to consent to her own medical treatments.

While parents generally provide medical consent for their children, certain circumstances, such as if the patient is an emancipated minor, allow for the minor themselves to consent to treatment. Emancipation can occur through a court decision, marriage, military service, or by establishing financial independence and living apart from parents.

In the described situation, if the patient is truly an emancipated minor, then she would indeed have the legal authority to provide consent for her medical care. However, in emergency scenarios where a patient's life is at risk and consent cannot be obtained, medical providers may invoke implied consent to deliver lifesaving treatment.