List Archives

Fri Jul 20 12:33:09 BST 2007

Ken

Thankfully, some things are simpler in a semi-"third-world" country like South Africa.

1) Majority is attained at 18 - so 19 could give own consent! (ignoring for the moment your following point about the mental state)

2)South African law simply gives the Medically qualified manager ("Medical Superintendent") of the hospital the right to provide emergency consent for any procedure deemed clinically relevant to a patient not able to provide their own consent (unconscious / under mental health restrictions / under age 18). The procedure is then performed "in the patient's best interest" by the clinician on their own recognisance - in actual fact the law allows the clinician to "give the consent" themselves in a life/limb-threatening emergency.

3) Regarding the Grandmother, South African law allows the clinician to "inform any major (age over 18) family member" of a patient's condition and the need for a procedure and the family member does not need to give consent since the procedure (if deemed in the patient's best interest) is performed by the clinician as deemed clinically relevant. The family is simply informed for the sake of good relations.

Regards
Tim
Dr T C Hardcastle
M.B.,Ch.B.(Stell); M.Med(Chir); FCS(SA)
Senior Surgeon / Senior Lecturer: Surgery (Trauma and ICU)
ATLS  instructor and DSTC Cape Town Course Director
Intern program Coordinator: Surgery
M.Med (Emergency Medicine) Executive Committee member
Clinical Head (Director): Diana Princess of Wales Trauma Unit
Division of Surgery (General) Room 4064
Department of Surgical Sciences
Tygerberg Hospital / University of Stellenbosch
PO Box 19063
Tygerberg 7505
Western Cape
South Africa
e-mail: tch at sun.ac.za
Cell: +27824681615
Office: +27219389281 or 4911 pager 0302

-----Original Message-----
From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org
[mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org]On Behalf Of KMATTOX at aol.com
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 5:07 AM
To: trauma-list at trauma.org
Subject: Table Top Test - CALL to you "an on call medical supervisor"

List Archives

For your convenience, find the Trauma List Archive Below

Table Top Test - CALL to you "an on call medical supervisor"