Your Patient Is a 16-Year-Old Male with a Reported History

Multiple Choice

Your patient is a 16-year-old male with a reported history of ingesting 8 to 10 beers over the preceding 2 hours. He fell while jumping on a trampoline, striking his head on the metal framing of the trampoline. There was no reported loss of consciousness, but the patient has a laceration to the occipital area of the head. The patient is alert and oriented to person, time, and place but fails to show appropriate concern for his injury and has slurred speech. The parents are unavailable. Which of the following is the best course of action?

A) Treat the patient under the doctrine of implied consent of the parents.
B) Treat the patient as an emancipated minor and allow him to decide whether he wants treatment and transport.
C) Have the patient arrested for underage drinking, and obtain the consent of law enforcement to treat the patient.
D) Use the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur to support your decision to either treat and release or treat and transport.