Last night, we got a baby transported to us from another nearby hospital.
The baby was just about 8 hours old by the time we got him, born at 36 5/7 weeks. The infant was born with multiple anomalies. But our first priority to address was the platelet count of 8000 (normal value for our hospital is 150,000-450,000). This child needed a platelet transfusion, however, the mother is a Jehovah Witness. She refused the transfusion even after talking to our neonatologist who explained the risk for IVH, and subsequently death should no transfusion be administered due this very critically low platelet count. Social workers were involved, as well as another neonatologist. They were in the process of getting a court order, however, due to the child's deteriorating signs, (lethargic, bruises all over, desaturations, emesis), the neonatologist that night overwrote the mother's wishes and got another neo to ok the order to give the platelet transfusion to the infant. I gave the platelet transfusion after getting all the appropriate doctor's orders. and the transfusion completed with out any complications.
Our hospital law states that in an emergency, when parents refuse blood transfusion for their child, doctors are able to 'overwrite' the parents religious beliefs with two attending MD (in this case two neonatologist) signature, while awaiting the court order.
No PMFB-RN, I am not quoting you in particular --that is why i did not cite your post in a quote box-- but put quotes only around the idiom. ( Just like I did with the other idiom: "wanted it".) I post this to say: I am not quoting PMFB-RN, so no one else misunderstands. (it would not let me amend the other post).
Nor do I accuse you personally of making assumptions, nor do I doubt you speak about your experience.
But since I have had different experiences, I am warning any readers and the originator of this post --who did ask what would you do--about making assumptions based on what some parents have said and what some nurses have experienced. Because that does not represent what all parents feel.
That is my point, every patient, every parent is different. Treat them as individuals, make sure you know how they feel. That applies with every difference among the humans we care for.
Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.
In NH there is a law to protect minors, in that a physician can overide a parents religious wishes to deny their child blood products or organs, as the child is not old enough to have their own beliefs, therefore should not be put in a life threatending situation becuase of what the parents believe in...
Honestly, I may get a boat load of h*ll for saying this, but I cannot immagine any parent letting their child die over a religious belief!
Most don't let their child die...when we get a court order we take that decision out of their hands and they don't have to go against their belief. We have had parents tell us that they were glad we obtained a court order so that they didn't have to make that decision. We have never had a JW mad at us because we did this.
There are lots of times when I wish I could make a decision for some parents regarding their babies. Such as not allowing us to make an obviously dying, and obviously suffering baby DNR, for days and days.
CHAVNY
26 Posts
No PMFB-RN, I am not quoting you in particular --that is why i did not cite your post in a quote box-- but put quotes only around the idiom. ( Just like I did with the other idiom: "wanted it".) I post this to say: I am not quoting PMFB-RN, so no one else misunderstands. (it would not let me amend the other post).
Nor do I accuse you personally of making assumptions, nor do I doubt you speak about your experience.
But since I have had different experiences, I am warning any readers and the originator of this post --who did ask what would you do--about making assumptions based on what some parents have said and what some nurses have experienced. Because that does not represent what all parents feel.
That is my point, every patient, every parent is different. Treat them as individuals, make sure you know how they feel. That applies with every difference among the humans we care for.