Children Given Blood Covertly.

by Englishman 20 Replies latest watchtower medical

• 

  tijkmo

  a court order is still a decision arrived at with all the facts in the open...nobody is doing it secretly even if the end decision goes against the parents and/or the mature childs wishes

  for a doctor to make an arbitary decision in a closed off arena is a completely different thing entirely

  and who says its lunacy anyway...there are still plenty of medical staff who understand the benefits of treating the patient rather than the illness

  and there are still plenty of people in the medical profession who will not take blood because of the health risks and not for any religious reasons
• 

  Englishman

  ..And there's me who sometimes chooses to eat black pudding and sometimes chooses not to. I do it just when the fancy takes me. Other people would die sooner than do that. Nuts. Completely nuts.

  Englishman.
• 

  aniron

  Englishman

  I have had similar told to me by a friend who was a theatre sister, after I had left the JW's.

  She said quite regularly when a JW was having an operation whether a child or adult, blood would be on standby. If the surgeon thought the patient was losing to much blood it would then be given.
• 

  Buster

  tijkmo,

  1. My point was that it is routine fro a Dr. to overrule the parents via court order, that it is an overt act. I don't see the disagreement there.

  2. To categorize the Dr.s decision as 'arbitrary' is weak.

  3. I say its lunacy.

  4. Finding little anecdotes of health care workers that are afraid of the blood supply has no bearing on the Dr.s decision during a crisis
• 

  Why Georgia

  I was told by our OBGYN 5 years ago that he would not let me bleed out on the table. If it came to that he would give me blood and deal with the lawsuits.

  This was when darling husband expressed his want for me to not have blood ever.

  On a side note....does anyone else notice how many JW's work in hospitals? My every move was reported by Mrs. Elder to Mr. Elder...and when they thought I might be given blood the Elders were sent out to make sure darling husband was good and strong and would let me die.
• 

  M.J.

  I heard that in Mexico they'll go ahead and give blood if it's an emergency.. and the heck with whatever silly request was made.
• 

  rebel8

  I was told by our OBGYN 5 years ago that he would not let me bleed out on the table. If it came to that he would give me blood and deal with the lawsuits.

  You just made me realize something. I might be wrong, but I think what was behind that statement is the feasibility of lawsuits winning. For medical malpractice, you must be able to prove you suffered damages. Comparing the two scenarios:
  

  1. MD honors no blood request and patient dies unneccessarily. MD (in his/her mind) is legally liable for patient death. Monetary damages for patient death is high.
  2. MD overrides no blood request and saves patient's life. Patient gets DFd and sues. Damages are virtually nonexistent.

  Still though, this is what overriding a blood request would involve in a hospital:
  

  • Staff are well aware of no blood requests. Many hospitals even put a specially colored bracelet on the patient stating "NO BLOOD" in big black letters. Specific form is in the medical record stating no blood. Everyone is aware. The bracelet is another safeguard that would have to be purposely ignored in order to administer blood. All bracelets are double-checked at the moment prior to administration of blood.
  • A dozen or so staff would be involved--blood bank staff, OR attendants, Residents, Anesthesia, Surgeons, etc. Even if the Surgeon demands it, they all would be held individually liable for complying with his/her request to give blood over objection. This means all the staff involved would be fired, lose their professional licenses, and be open to being sued themselves.
  • Blood (and pretty much everything) has to be ordered by a physician and then ordered in the computer. There is no mechanism to release units of blood w/o an order in the computer system. The order posts to the patient's account immediately.
  • The hospital administration and its risk management department would have a cow. At least one of the staff involved in the conspiracy would report it to them and all hell would break loose. Incidents involving so many people are rarely kept quiet. Eventually, someone comes forward; they're worried someone will and they want to be 1st so they will look like the good guy.
  • Even if no one comes forward, the record is reviewed afterwards and it would come to light.
  • If they are accredited by JCAHO, they would have to disclose the transfusion to the patient/family.
  • The hospital may in turn be required to report this incident to several regulatory agencies and open an internal investigation too.

  My point is, this scenario is terribly unlikely. Your physician may think he/she would be able to just give you blood, but it's hard for me to imagine it would happen in real life.
• 

  Gill

  I don't find this surprising in the least even though legally a mine field.

  My husbands Grandpa, a JW for over ninety years had emergency surgery for a broken hip and was given blood despite his objections, as he was bleeding out during the surgery.

  Not one of his family have mentioned it to other JWs and no one seems too upset about it. How embarrassing would it be to sue a hospital for saving someone's life? It's one of the only things we've all agreed on.
• 

  Englishman

  All good points. I can see that there would be umpteen records of treatment given post op and pre op. However, I'm led to believe that in the frantic hustle and bustle of the operating theatre, medication, blood, whatever, is just whizzed into the patient as circumstances demand. People ain't filling in forms..

  Englishman.
• 

  Why Georgia

  Once upon a time I was a Paramedic and if you didn't write it down it didn't happen.

  I have had numerous surgeries in the last few years...

  The doctors all basically told my husband no blood/no surgery. They aren't willing to take chances and be sued later when someone says why didn't you do everything to save this woman with 2 children!