Volume 72 Number 4 July 2005	back to contents

From the Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.

Address all correspondence to Reza Keshavarz, M.D., M.P.H., Department of Emergency Medicine, Box 1149, One East 100th Street, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029.

Presented at the Issues in Medical Ethics Conference on “Special Challenges of Emergency Medicine” at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.

Abstract

Issues related to informed consent and confidentiality often arise in the emergency care setting. When the patient is an adolescent further complexities are introduced, especially when the desires of the adolescent are different from those of the parent. Understanding when an adolescent can give informed consent and what the limits of confidentiality are will assist medical personnel in providing the most appropriate care. These concepts are elucidated with a specific case.

KEYWORDS

Informed consent, confidentiality, emergencies, adolescents.

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