Intake Medical Personnel

Escort this patient and their family, caregiver or support persons to a private waiting area.

1. Elicit information as privately as possible, regarding:
   • Safety (Is the patient physically and psychologically safe? Is the suspected perpetrator present? Speaking with patient alone is important to obtain accurate information),
   • Pain, and
   • Bleeding.
2. If the assault occurred within the last 12 hours and the child has not had anything to eat or drink, instruct patient to not use restroom, wash, change clothes, eat or drink until evaluated by the forensic health care professional (Christian, et al., 2000; Girardet et al., 2011). If patient must use restroom, collect urine and advise that patient does not wipe genitalia until after evidence has been collected, if possible. Use clinical judgment.
3. Consider collecting urine if drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) is suspected. Maintain chain of custody of specimen.
4. Contact a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) or rape crisis center for an advocate hospital accompaniment, depending on community protocols. Advise patient and caregivers (when applicable) of advocate’s expected arrival time and role as support for the patient and family. Contact Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth (CSEY) advocate, depending on community protocols. A comprehensive network of experts to provide critical wrap-around care and support for commercially sexually exploited children is available at the Office of the Texas Governor website.
5. Contact forensic health care professional and notify of patient’s arrival. Advise patient and caregivers (when applicable) of expected wait times.