I hope I don't offend anybody here, and please note the incident I am referring to is over 20 years ago. I think today it would be unethical - but it was interesting.
An unaccompanied child was brought into hospital suffering from a seizure in a public place. The child was treated on the children's ward for a couple of weeks - having repeated seizures. Would not or could not give personal details - name, address, age etc. Was not noted to be a 'missing person'. In due course the medical staff became suspicious and decided to 'treat' the next seizure with 'placebo' medication - ie water. It brought the child out of the seizure just as quick and in just the same way as the previous real 'rescue medications' had. The 'child' was then gently challenged and was found in fact to be a young adult who had escaped an abusive family - desperately seeking protection in the only way they knew.
Sadly, as this person was now considered an adult they were simply discharged - no psychological or social support whatsoever. I have often wondered about this person, about what brought them to hospital and where they are now?
I don't think this is what we now call pseudo non epileptic seizures, because it was a deliberate ploy. On the other hand for the first numerous seizures it was all very convincing, so may be I am wrong and perhaps it was a psychological event. I guess I will never know - but I did note how unsympathetic the medical professionals were (Doctors - not nurses) and it all became an 'inconvenience'.
