Case Study Meningitis

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When the physician treated the child for meningitis without recognizing and obeying the parents is a violation of the parent's rights to choose the treatment choice for their child. The actions of the physician come into conflict with the parent's expectation, autonomy, and wishes. The hospital administrator has an important role in evaluating the ethical dilemma that is occurring and developing a resolution. In this particular case, the hospital administrator would be drawn toward justification. The failure of the parents to act in the best interest of their child and avoid potential life threatening symptoms is justified by the constraint of the parent's autonomy to make choices pertaining to their child well-being (Munson, 2013). The …show more content…
Having medical tests that prove that the child has meningitis helps protect the physician, and the hospital from being sued because meningitis can be a fatal illness or lead to permanent brain damage which means that the parents of the child would be considered neglecting the well-being of their child. In addition, meningitis is a contagious illness, and by not treating the child and releasing the child could potentially infect other people because of the many ways the bacteria can spread ("BootsWebMD," 2017). The physician is trying to treat severe pain, preserve the child life and help prevent any disabilities from occurring ("Committee," 2013). While the lawer is dealing with trying to obtain a court-appointed guardian, the hospital administrator would call the child protective services ("Committee," 2013). The state and the child interests outweigh the parent's rights to refuse care for their child that has a high potential of serious harm. Collaborating with child welfare to coordinate the intervention can help protect the health of the child. The hospital administrator is calling child welfare not to accuse the parents of not taking care of their child, but to break down the barriers of adherence, and improve the child's wee-being (Lubert