A left wrist is ordered but the right wrist is bruised and swollen. What would you do?

A left wrist is ordered but the right wrist is bruised and swollen. What would you do?

• A. Question the doctor who ordered the exam
• B. Proceed with the left wrist as ordered
• C. Ask the patient to consent
• D. Reschedule the exam

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is obtaining informed consent and respecting the patient’s autonomy. Even when an exam is ordered for a specific site, you must involve the patient in the decision, especially when there’s another injured site. Asking the patient to consent ensures they understand what will be done, why it’s proposed, and any options or alternatives. It also protects you legally and ethically if there’s a question about which wrist should be imaged or if the plan should be adjusted. In this scenario, the right wrist is bruised and swollen, so the patient may have preferences or concerns about imaging the left wrist as ordered. You should present the plan clearly, confirm that they agree to image the left wrist as requested, and document their consent. If the patient prefers a different approach or if there’s a need to alter the order, you would then discuss it with the referring physician. Proceeding without confirming consent bypasses the patient’s rights, and simply rescheduling or ignoring consent isn’t the best immediate step when patient agreement is appropriate.

The main idea here is obtaining informed consent and respecting the patient’s autonomy. Even when an exam is ordered for a specific site, you must involve the patient in the decision, especially when there’s another injured site. Asking the patient to consent ensures they understand what will be done, why it’s proposed, and any options or alternatives. It also protects you legally and ethically if there’s a question about which wrist should be imaged or if the plan should be adjusted.

In this scenario, the right wrist is bruised and swollen, so the patient may have preferences or concerns about imaging the left wrist as ordered. You should present the plan clearly, confirm that they agree to image the left wrist as requested, and document their consent. If the patient prefers a different approach or if there’s a need to alter the order, you would then discuss it with the referring physician.

Proceeding without confirming consent bypasses the patient’s rights, and simply rescheduling or ignoring consent isn’t the best immediate step when patient agreement is appropriate.