system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 5-year-old is presented to the emergency department after being involved in an accident on the way to school. According to the paramedics, the patient was hit by a motor vehicle and his right leg was crushed. The parents were immediately contacted, and the physician explains that a limb-saving operation is the best treatment. The parents decline medical treatment to save the child’s leg. The parents explain that they heard that a child died in a similar scenario and would have lived if the limb had not been amputated. What is the next best step?
assistant
Inform the hospital Ethics Committee, state authority, and child protective services, and try to get a court order if it takes too long to proceed with the physician’s treatment plan.