Unwanted Exam Forced on ER Patient
Posted on January 16, 2008 - Filed Under News Flash
This was very disturbing to me. Since when does the patient’s right to refuse an exam or treatment cease to exist or be respected? It especially bothers me that the article states the man “denied” the request for the exam. That should have been enough. I do understand that it may have helped the ER team to determine if the patient had spinal injuries but in my opinion and as far as I know, also legally, the patient ultimately has the right to decide what happens to his body (except in very rare cases where he may not be deemed sane or able to speak for himself). Arent’ we teaching kids these days that “no” means “no?” Although I admit we may never know if there is more to this story, it appears that some “professional” adults still need to learn it as well.
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If the story is true, the hospital is wrong. I can’t help but think there is more to the story, though.
I was wondering that myself, Mike. I will have to do some searching but who knows if I’ll be able to find anything what with patient confidentiality and all. I was kinda hoping they were going to say that the guy didn’t have his full capacities or something but of course that wasn’t mentioned. And he had enough to get himself some lawyers….or maybe the lawyers are just having a field day? Hmmm.
Definitely seems wrong … but I guess it is possible that he was not in a fit state to be refusing tests? Still seems very unusual though.
It does seem unusual. These things scare me.
Hmmmm, not what one would expect after getting hit on the head. Perhaps they were training a new nurse/doctor who hadbn’t done a rectal before, so used him as a guinea pig. Poor fellow
Yikes! Don’t you get to be informed when someone is being trained (we get informed when we are being treated by a physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner)? Guinea Pig? Yikes!
I agree. That isnt right. I would bet there is more to the story. Poor guy!
I sure hope there is more to it than what they are saying. I do find it hard to believe that a construction worker getting hit on the front of the head is reason to do a rectal exam and don’t know why they would suspect spinal damage. Even if he became a total jerk in the ER, it wouldn’t be ethical to perform certain procedures as a punishment.
I don’t know, maybe if they had EXPLAINED to him why they needed to do it rather than handcuffing and drugging him up?
Perhaps a ludicrous idea but it likely would have have ended a little better.
The comment from the hospital makes me livid… the case has no merit and we intend to contest!
HA!
Yeah, unless there is a lot more going on here then I don’t see how this case has no merit. As a patient, you’d feel humiliated, assaulted and lose respect and trust for the medical community in general after something like that. Of course, I would think the ER would have recognized by the way he was flailing around, as the article described it, that his spinal cord was in no way damaged. Sheesh.
What a pain in the butt
It reminded me of this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pWVof1NQnyg&feature=related
That WAS a funny episode. And yes, it does remind me of that.
Hmm, for some reason I keep thinking that they are supposed to do something but I’m not sure? I’ll have to ask my mother about that. She’s talked about some of her cases before. Also you cannot always tell by a persons movements if there has been any damage. If that was the case there would be no reason for xrays and that person would make a lot of money.
Suppose they didn’t do anything and he had died?
But then since he was coherent enough to ask them to please not to do that, shouldn’t they have explained it to him and still doesn’t he have the right to decide? That is my issue with it - that he said he didn’t want it yet it was done anyway. And it seems odd that he was restrained in such a manner. Who knows? We’ll probably never know the whole story.
Yes, it definitely seems wrong. I wonder if it’s a case by case issue. Or different in certain states? My mom works in an ER .. Im gonna ask her!
I’d like to hear what she says, although I’m sure we will never know the whole story in this case. And it’s quite possibe he was an unruly drunken abusive patient, but still, I think the decision to be examined should ultimately lie with the patient. I don’t think this was a life and death situation.
That is wrong….Glad I have never gone to that ER
oh my goodness gracious - a forced rectal exam?? disturbing, indeed!! eek!!
My sentiments, exactly! Yikes.