This is a brief commentary and discussion regarding the implications of parental refusal of hospitalization and evaluation of a potentially septic neonate. It is absolutely an issue we all hope to never face, but probably will at some point in our careers.
Two pediatricians offer differing opinions on the extent to which social work and child protective services need be involved, raising such issues as the threshold percentage for likelihood of serious bacterial infection/bacteremia should be for “imminent harm” to the child, and the perceived benefits of therapy. No specific answers are gleaned from the article, but it is worth reading and thinking through the discussions you would have in a similar situation.
“When Parents Refuse a Septic Workup for a Newborn”
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22025599