T
ough question that doctors face every day: When do you allow family to witness care, and when do you ask them to leave? A laceration — sure, they can stay and count the stitches. But what about a patient who’s not breathing or has no heartbeat or who requires acute care? Where’s the family’s place then — in or out?
These are not the answers they teach you in medical school.
Sometimes the answer depends on the treatment. A laceration — no problem, you’re welcome to stay. We numb the area and stitch it up quickly and no one gets too worked up. (Except for one tall, strapping guy who passed out when I started stitching up his son.)
A kid with a broken bone is another story. If the bone needs to be reduced so the pieces are properly placed for healing, I send the parents out. We sedate the child, and I let the parents stay until the child is asleep, but then they need to leave. Besides for the danger of radiation from the X-rays, it’s just too gory. There’s no nice way to reduce a broken bone. I do the tough work when they’re not there because the optics are too frightening.
