Anatomy/Physiology and Health Care for Writers

Kids in Hospitals

Disclaimer: Since I'm less familiar with hospital discharge protocols outside of the US I can't speak to them, but I'd imagine many other countries have similar policies.

I've read several stories about pediatric (under 18 years old) characters admitted to the hospital without their parents knowing. In an emergency situation that can happen.

HOWEVER hospitals will ONLY (usually) discharge a pediatric patient to another pediatric patient in the case of a teenage mother (maybe maybe the father) concerning her child.

Legally a hospital needs parental consent for treatment unless it's an action necessary to sustain life if the patient doesn't have a do not resuscitate (DNR) order. While it's not outside the realm of possibility for a patient to sneak out (though if they're a known flight risk there will probably be bed alarms or a safety sitter) a hospital WILL have contacted a parent/guardian or social services. Hospital bills aren't exactly within most children's budgets and insurance of some kind is required, at least in the US, which can't be purchased until 18.

So no hospital discharge of a friend to another under 18 friend just because they don't want their parent(s) finding out they were admitted to the hospital.

Lines can get a little gray for 16/17 year olds. At that age most teenagers are cognizant enough to be included in decisions regarding treatment. It can become a legal/ethical issue if the child wants the opposite of what their parent/guardian wants. There are some emancipated minors who are, for all intensive purposes, legal adults before 18 but those cases aren't very common.

For infants/small children many hospitals have alarm bracelets on the patient so that if someone attempts to remove the bracelet or remove the child from the floor, the alarm will trigger and the floor goes into lockdown. At the same time security and hospital personal "guard" exits to ensure no one is trying to smuggle a child out (large bags are searched, children with adults attempting to leave the building are verified to belong to that person before they are allowed to leave) until an all clear is sounded. Fun fact this happened during one of my OB clinicals. My instructor said they often have drills (the way one would have a fire drill- which also happened a few times over my clinical experience) but one can never be too careful. When the patient is discharged parent/child bracelets are verified to match and the alarm bracelet is deactivated.