In an unemancipated pediatric patient, if the parents refuse treatment, who intervenes to authorize care?

• A. The grandparent
• B. The court
• C. The social worker
• D. The patient

Answer: (B)

When a pediatric patient is unemancipated and Parents refuse treatment, the intervention to authorize care comes from the court. The state recognizes that parents generally make medical decisions for their children, but when those decisions threaten the child’s welfare, the court can step in to determine the child’s best interests and issue a guardian’s authority or a court order to authorize necessary treatment. Grandparents or social workers don’t have inherent legal authority to override parental decisions unless they have been granted guardianship by the court. The patient cannot legally consent due to age, so the court is the appropriate intervening authority to authorize care.