Florida State Paramedic Practice Exam

Leaving a patient unattended for 20 minutes before returning to run another call is an example of what?

1. Medical malpractice

2. Negligence

3. Abandonment

4. Assault

The correct answer is: Abandonment

The situation described is an example of abandonment because it involves a healthcare provider leaving a patient without proper care or supervision. In the context of emergency medical services, abandonment occurs when a paramedic or other healthcare provider ceases to provide necessary medical care to a patient who is obviously in need of such care, especially after having established a patient-provider relationship. To clarify how this relates to the other options, medical malpractice typically refers to a breach of professional duty that results in harm to a patient, usually involving a failure to provide the standard of care. Negligence could imply a failure to act in a reasonable manner that leads to patient harm, but it does not specifically indicate that care was left undone after a treatment was initiated. Assault in healthcare is specifically related to the unlawful or intentional threat of harm to a patient and is not applicable in this context where care was simply abandoned. Therefore, abandoning a patient without ensuring their safety or transferring them to another capable provider clearly constitutes abandonment and can lead to serious legal consequences for the healthcare provider involved.