Paediatric anaesthesia
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Parents and legal guardians have authority to consent to medical treatment on behalf of minors. Recently, the concept of emerging competence has been popularized, whereby a child may achieve sufficient understanding and maturity to enable him/her to make a wise choice in his/her own interests. Although there are undoubted merits in involving children in their medical treatment, the ultimate legal authority for consent rests with parents and guardians acting on the advice of doctors and in the child's best interests. ⋯ Surgery was cancelled rather than use force to induce anaesthesia. In practice, it seems that a child must demonstrate a greater maturity and understanding to refuse medical treatment than to agree to it. Some advice is given to clinicians facing similar situations.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Jan 1998
Comment Letter Case ReportsPerioperative considerations in a newly described subtype of congenital Long QT syndrome.