title: [Physicians' perception on taking care of Jehovah's witnesses].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study is to assess the physician's management of patients who refuse blood transfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire to assess the experience, the acceptance or refusal and the operating methods in case of vital risk has been realized and circulated at a national scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 793 questionnaires were sent back and analysed according to 3 different categories: anesthesiologists, physicians and surgeons. Seventy-nine percent of total respondents and 90% of anesthesiologists had had to take care of a Jehovah's Witness. In 51% of all cases, it appears to be associated with mainly relational problems with the patient or his family. Nevertheless, 83% accept to take care a Jehovah witness, the most reluctant of them being anesthesiologists. A written confirmation of blood transfusion refusal even at vital risk and a piece of written evidence of belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses are not systematically required. For them, the impossibility to foresee with certainty the need for blood transfusion represents the main barrier to the medical care of a Jehovah's Witness. In case of imminent vital risk and if there are no available alternative procedures, 67% of respondents administer blood products (89% if the patient is unconscious).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This situation has nothing exceptional but the medical community does not seem to know all the regulatory requirements. Generally speaking, they do not oppose the medical care of a Jehovah's Witness, but remain committed to their primary focus: to save the patient, as long as it is not an end-of-life situation.
authors.affiliation: Unité de sécurité transfusionnelle et d'hémovigilance, service d'épidémiologique et santé publique, CHU de Rennes, 35033 Rennes cedex, France. Electronic address: Herve.Gouezec@chu-rennes.fr.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gouezec
authors.affiliation: Unité de sécurité transfusionnelle et d'hémovigilance, service d'épidémiologique et santé publique, CHU de Rennes, 35033 Rennes cedex, France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lerenard
authors.affiliation: Service d'épidémiologique et santé publique, CHU de Rennes, 35033 Rennes cedex, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.affiliation: Service d'épidémiologique et santé publique, CHU de Rennes, 35033 Rennes cedex, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bajeux
authors.affiliation: ARS santé, Champagne Alsace Lorraine, 54036 Nancy cedex, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Renaudier
authors.affiliation: Service d'anesthésie, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, 67085 Strasbourg cedex, France.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Mertes
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000941:ethics* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D033221:Jehovah's Witnesses; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016312:Treatment Refusal
keywords: Blood transfusion; Ethic; Jehovah's witness; Transfusion; Témoins de Jéhovah; Éthique