| Abstract: | Minors frequently present to the ED for treatment without their legal guardians. In most such situations, it is best to contact the parents to obtain consent for treatment and to inform them about their child's problem. However, in some emergency situations or problems involving adolescent health, it may be impractical or damaging to contact the parents. In these situations, the law is sufficiently vague to protect the well-meaning physician who gives care to consenting minors for their own benefit. Of course, if problems result from the care which is rendered, the usual malpractice law will apply, and the physician will try to demonstrate that his treatment fit into one of the legal exceptions to the general rule. |
