emergency privilege

Used to describe the physician's authority to employ life- sustaining interventions as a result of 'implied consent' in situations where: 1) there is significant risk of withholding immediate treatment 2) the patient cannot consent, & 3) there is no surrogate decision-maker accessible Emergency privilege does NOT give the physician the right to overrule a patient's (or a valid surrogate's) refusal of treatment.

References

Rosenfeld K. In: Intensive Course in Geriatric Medicine & Board Review, Marina Del Ray, CA, Sept 12-15, 2001