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. 2023 Jan 3;90(1):18-21.
doi: 10.3949/ccjm.90a.22003.

What are my obligations to my incarcerated patient?

Farah Acher Kaiksow  1 , Deval Patel  2 , Norman Fost  3
Affiliations

What are my obligations to my incarcerated patient?

Farah Acher Kaiksow et al. Cleve Clin J Med. .

Abstract

A 45-year-old man is brought to the emergency department with a self-inflicted forearm laceration. He is incarcerated and under the care of the Department of Corrections (DOC). The patient has a history of self-harm and iron deficiency anemia, and his baseline hemoglobin is 6 to 7 g/dL (reference range 13.0–17.0). On presentation to the emergency department, his vital signs are stable, he has no symptoms of blood loss, and his hemoglobin is 5.2 g/dL. A DOC representative presents a court order that authorizes a blood transfusion when the hemoglobin level is less than 6 g/dL, but the patient refuses the transfusion. As his caregiver, am I obligated to follow the court order against the patient’s wishes?

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Conflict of interest statement

DISCLOSURES

The authors report no relevant financial relationships which, in the context of their contributions, could be perceived as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Navigating healthcare of an incarcerated patient. aAny physician, and in some US states nurse practitioners and physician assistants, can determine capacity. bThis applies for medical evaluations, diagnostic tests, and treatments.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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