Refusal to blood transfusions Flashcards
Why may none Jehovah’s witnesses refuse allogenic blood?
Fear about safety of blood transfusions.
What is meant by the term allogenic ?
Being genetically different although belonging to or obtained from the same species.
What type of treatments do Jehovah’s witnesses decline?
Allogenic blood transfusion.
Whole and primary blood components.
The use of any sample of their blood for cross-hatching.
Autologous pre-donation.
Why do Jehovah’s witnesses decline allogenic blood transfusions?
They regard it as gross physical violation.
Which treatments can Jehovah’s witnesses decide to accept if they wish?
Albumin, coagulation factors, globulins including immunoglobulins, haemoglobin, interferons, interleukins, wound healing factors.
What procedures can Jehovah’s witnesses decide to accept if they wish?
Intraoperative blood salvage, acute normovolaemic haemodilution, postoperative blood salvage, haemodialysis, cardiopulmonary bypass
Outline when surgeons have the right to treat patients who refuse blood.
Surgeons have the right to choose not to treat patients if they feel the restrictions placed on them by refusal of blood products are contradictory to their values as a doctor.
What must a surgeon do when they refuse to treat a patient based on the fact that they have refused to have a blood transfusion ?
They must refer them to a doctor who is prepared to take on the patient knowing the circumstances. This should be on the patients notes along with the referral letter to explain the change in doctor based on religious grounds.
Define consent in terms of medical treatment.
A patient’s autonomous agreement for a health professional to provide care and it must be confirmed in writing.
What must be true for medical consent to be valid?
- Given by a personal with the capacity to make the decision in question.
- Given voluntarily.
- Based on appropriate information and understood.
Define Autonomous
Independent and having the power to make your own decisions.
What should happen in situations when emergency Jehovah’s Witness patients have not given advanced-decision forms?
The use of blood should be avoided. However, in serious situations, the use of these products should be based on the judgement of the clinician responsible for the patient.
In the case of emergency medicine, some relatives try to prevent the clinician carrying out procedures on the patient based on religious beliefs and such like, what happens in this scenario?
The clinical judgement of a doctor takes precedence over the opinions of relatives or associates - unless they have advance-decision documents.
What should a clinician do if they have given a blood transfusion in an emergency scenario, without the consent of the patient?
Record this in the patient notes along with the reason for the administration.
At what age can children give valid consent for medical treatment?
16/17