Question

The phlebotomist is asked to draw blood on a non-responsive patient in an emergency department. This draw would be conducted under

Answer 1

A phlebotomist can draw blood from a non-responsive patient in an emergency under the doctrine of implied consent, where it is assumed the patient would agree to necessary treatment if able.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the procedures followed by a phlebotomist when drawing blood from a non-responsive patient in an emergency department. In such scenarios, the blood draw would be conducted under an implied consent.

Implied consent is a legal doctrine which assumes that the patient would consent to receive medical interventions that are in their best interests if they were able to do so.

In emergency situations where the patient cannot express consent, healthcare professionals, including phlebotomists, are generally permitted to perform necessary procedures to diagnose and treat the patient. This is because the urgency of medical care overrides the typical consent requirements.