6-year-old develops a high fever accompanied by violent vomiting and convulsions while at school. The child is rushed to a nearby hospital. The attending physician makes a diagnosis of meningitis and requests permission from the parents to initiate treatment. Both parents are Christian Scientists, and they insist that no medical treatment be given to the child. The physician initiates treatment anyway, and the parents later sue the physician and the hospital.
In a formal, written paper of 750 words, provide the following:
In this case, the ethical dilemma can be defined as the decision to begin or abstain from treatment. While the parents are considered the healthcare proxies for their child, making the decision to refuse treatment in the case of meningitis is more than likely lethal as bacterial meningitis has a fatality rate of up to 70% (Castillo et. al, 2012). On the other hand, treating the child without proper consent from the parents would violate the principle of informed consent, and in some ways autonomy, while opening up the facility to legal action, which is later taken.
1. Assuming the role of the hospital administrator, provide a solution to resolve the identified ethical dilemma in this case.
2. Include, at the end of your paper, a 200-word dialog in which you explain your decision to the family. (Remember to use language that the family would understand).
Include at least three scholarly, peer-reviewed references
Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines