An 18-year-old male who is alert and consents to treatment has provided which type of consent?

• A. Implied
• B. Expressed
• C. Involuntary
• D. Refused

Answer: (B)

Expressed consent is when a capable patient clearly agrees to the proposed treatment. Here, the 18-year-old is alert, capable of understanding, and explicitly consents to care, which is the hallmark of expressed consent. As an adult who can make decisions, his verbal agreement to treatment is appropriate and you should document it and proceed as long as he remains competent and does not revoke consent. Implied consent would apply only if he could not give explicit consent (unconscious or severely confused), and involuntary isn’t a standard consent type in EMS. Refusal would mean he declines treatment, which isn’t the case here.