Legal and health issues in health case:
Agree or disagree with the post but you must support your point or you write a post just anaysing the regal and ethical issues arising from the case study. 500 words with 3 or 4 refelencies.
Case Study-Paramedic Students:
You and your partner Mel are about to transport Dave, a 51 year old intoxicated male with a reduced level of consciousness and what you suspect is a blunt head injury to the emergency department for further assessment. Dave is unhappy about being transported to hospital, shouting out “Leave me alone, leave me alone! I don’t want to go anywhere! You bastards, I’ll have you for this!”
Now that Dave has been physically restrained, you notice a crowd has gathered around the scene and some of the bystanders appear to be taking photos of the events on their phones. Dave is thrashing about as best he can beneath the restraints, and is yelling abuse at anyone within range. You pull the blanket up over Dave’s torso to keep him covered while loading him on the trolley into the ambulance.
Before leaving, you attempt to gain intravenous access as you plan to commence fluids, give an anti-emetic so he does not vomit while immobilized, and to be prepared in the event Dave might have a seizure.
Several attempts at intravenous cannulation are made but you find it difficult because Dave will not keep his arm still. On your last attempt you accidently scrape yourself with the cannula before making one last (unsuccessful) attempt to cannulate Dave. Your finger isn’t actually bleeding where you scraped it with the needle, and you wonder if this exposure incident needs to be reported or if there is an obligation to inform your patient. After all, you’re confident you don’t have any blood-borne diseases. After this last attempt you decide it is only 10 minutes to the hospital and you might as well get underway without IV access.
Unfortunately Dave feels nauseous lying flat, taped to the trolley travelling in the back of the ambulance. He vomits and you manage to suction it and clear his airway successfully. On arrival at the hospital Dave’s Glasgow Coma Scale is 13 (Best eye opening response: score 3 – opens eyes in response to voice; Best verbal response: score 4 – confused; Best motor response: score 6 – obeys commands.). Several of Dave’s mates turn up and accuse you and Mel of taking Dave to hospital against his will, saying “You can’t just tie him down and drag him off to hospital when he clearly doesn’t want to go. He’s fine – just had a few too many, that’s all. You haven’t heard the last of this!”