Medical emergency Team as an accidental witness to the ritual of exorcism performed on a pregnant Muslim woman

Abstract

Introduction/Aim No known religion in the world has remained immune to the issue of magic, obsession, and exorcism. We present the first recorded case in our country, a religious exorcism ritual performed on a Muslim woman in her third month of pregnancy. The Emergency Medical Team (EMT) was dispatched to deal with sudden-onset abdominal pain which had occurred during the ritual of exorcism, to which the EMT was an unexpected witness. Case report The EMT responded to a call requesting medical assistance for an 18-year-old pregnant woman of Roma nationality and Muslim religion, who had experienced a short-term loss of consciousness accompanied by body tremors. Upon arriving at the scene, the EMT walked in on a religious ritual of exorcism, which was performed by a Muslim priest. After the ritual was completed, the patient was examined by the EMT doctor. The patient gave anamnestic data about sudden onset upper abdominal pain with an urge to vomit, which occurred about 15 minutes before the EMT was called. She associated her current condition with black magic and an evil force (a demon) that had entered her during a short walk. She stated that she had experienced this type of pain before but did not at that time ask for medical help, because the exorcism ritual had worked and resolved the situation. She denied having previous illnesses and medical treatments and stated that everything was fine during regular examinations by her gynaecologist. Upon examination, she was found to be afebrile, eupneic, euglycemic, and normotensive, with a normal heart rate, and naturally darker skin. Upon auscultation, her heart and lung sounds were found to be normal. When palpated, her abdomen was found to be soft and slightly painful in the stomach region. Her peristalsis was audible. The position of her uterus was normal inside the pelvis, the size of a larger orange or grapefruit. Other findings were normal. The patient was transported to a gynaecology and obstetrics hospital with the diagnosis of abdominal pain of unknown cause She was also referred to be examined by a psychiatrist. Conclusion In anticipation of new scientific views on this increasingly common topic, doctors find themselves in a position where they must find a balance between the patients' religious beliefs and realistic clinical diagnoses while caring for such patients, respecting moral, ethical, and legal norms.