Consent in an Emergency

A dietitian is facilitating a nutrition program for grade 5 (10-year-old) students. During snack time, one of the students goes into a severe anaphylactic reaction. The student runs to her bag to get her epi-pen and then collapses.  Does the dietitian need consent to administer the epi-pen to the student?

Informed consent is required for all treatment, except in an emergency. According to the Health Care Consent Act, 1996, “There is an emergency if the person for whom the treatment is proposed is apparently experiencing severe suffering or is at risk of sustaining serious bodily harm if the treatment is not administered promptly.” (Refer to the Professional Practice Standard, Consent to Treatment, Standards 8). 

As the student is at risk of sustaining serious bodily harm if the epi-pen is not administered promptly, the dietitian does not require the student’s consent to administer the epi-pen for this emergency.