[Surgery and transfusion in Jehovah's witness patient. Medical legal review].
The religious convictions of the witnesses of Jehovah leads them to refuse transfusion of blood, of its major components and of blood sparing procedures breaking the physical contact between the patient and his blood. We recall the rules of good practice in case of elective surgery concerning exhaustive information of the patient within multidisciplinary team associating anesthetist and surgeon advised by the forensic pathologist. This consultation must, to our point of view, be concluded by a report which summarizes what is accepted or not by the patient. This report will be initialed by the patient. This consultation can never lead the physician to swear to never use a transfusion whatever the circumstances. In case of emergency if and only some conditions are met (everything was made to convince the patient, vital emergency, no therapeutic choice, therapeutic care adapted to the patient heath status), the physician can be brought to overpass the patient's will to not receive blood transfusion. Current jurisprudence has, to date, never recognized as faulty the physicians having practiced such transfusions whenever they took place within a precise framework.
Loriau
J
J
Service de chirurgie viscérale, hôpital Henry-Mondor, Créteil, France. jerome.loriau@hmn.ap-hop-paris.fr
Manaouil
C
C
Montpellier
D
D
Graser
M
M
Jarde
O
O
D019985:Benchmarking; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D004630:Emergencies / Q000523:psychology; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D033221:Jehovah's Witnesses / Q000523:psychology; D016365:Liability, Legal; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology