You Have Been Called for a 2-Year-Old Female with an Arm

You have been called for a 2-year-old female with an arm injury. The child presents with deformity and bruising to her left forearm. When asked, the mother states that the child fell from the bed, but the father states that his daughter fell down the stairs. Given the inconsistent stories, you are suspicious of child abuse. Which one of the following narratives would be most appropriate when documenting this situation?

A) "Patient fell off of bed injuring left arm-per mother; patient fell down stairs injuring left arm-per father."
B) "Mother and father cannot agree on how their daughter got the bruise and deformity to the arm."
C) "Patient has injuries consistent with child abuse; the mother and father cannot determine how the patient was injured."
D) "Patient appears to be abused; the police will be called and the physician in the ED will be notified."