title: Refusal of medical treatment in the pediatric emergency service: analysis of reasons and aspects.
abstract: Refusal of treatment for acutely ill children is still an important problem in the emergency service. When families refuse medical treatment for their acutely ill children, healthcare professionals may attempt to provide information and negotiate with the family concerning treatment refusal and its possible adverse outcomes, and request consent for refusal of medical treatment. There is insufficient data about refusal of treatment in our country. The purpose of this study was to analyze the causes of treatment refusal in the pediatric emergency service. We collected data recorded on informed consent forms. During a 2-year-study period, 215 patients refused treatment recommended by acute health care professionals. The majorty of patients were in the 0-2 year age group. Hospitalization was the type of treatment most commonly refused; restrictions regarding family members staying with their children during hospitalization and admission to another hospital were the major reasons for refusal of treatment. Clarifying the reasons for treatment refusal may help us to overcome deficiencies, improve conditions, resolve problems and build confidence between healthcare providers and service users, increasing users' satisfaction in the future.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. halidhalil@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ramiz Coşkun
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gündüz
authors.forename: Halit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Halil
authors.forename: Cüneyt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gürsoy
authors.forename: Atilla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Çifci
authors.forename: Seher
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Özgün
authors.forename: Tuğba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodaman
authors.forename: Mehtap
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sönmez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014421:Turkey