What should be done if an 11-year-old needs emergency surgery and parents are unavailable?

• A. Surgery performed without informed consent (emergency exception)
• B. Delay until parental consent is obtained
• C. Seek court order for minor’s surgery
• D. Proceed after verbal assent from the patient

Answer: (A)

In an urgent situation where a child’s life or serious health could be jeopardized, clinicians are allowed to proceed with needed treatment without waiting for parental consent. This uses the emergency exception to informed consent, recognizing that when time is critical and there’s no ability to obtain consent, acting to save the child’s life or prevent serious harm is ethically and legally appropriate. The medical team should perform the surgery to protect the child’s health, documenting the emergency, the attempts to contact guardians, and the rationale for immediate action. Once the patient is stabilized, guardians should be informed and consent for ongoing care obtained as soon as feasible. Involve the child in discussion to the extent possible (assent), but remember that assent does not replace parental consent in life-saving decisions. Delaying care, seeking a court order, or relying on verbal assent from the child alone would not be appropriate in this time-critical scenario.