• A Najaf-Zadeh, F Dubos, I Pruvost, C Bons-Letouzey, R Amalberti, and A Martinot.
• Univ Lille Nord de France, UDSL, Lille, France.
• Arch. Dis. Child. 2011 Feb 1;96(2):127-30.

ObjectiveTo examine paediatric malpractice claims and identify common characteristics likely to result in malpractice in children in France.Design And MaterialsFirst, the authors did a retrospective and descriptive analysis of all paediatric malpractice claims involving children aged 1 month to 18 years, in which the defendant was coded as paediatrician or general practitioner, reported to the Sou Médical-groupe MASCF insurance company during a 5-year period (2003-2007). Then, a comparison of these results with those from the USA was performed.ResultsThe average annual incidence of malpractice claims was 0.8/100 paediatricians. 228 malpractice claims were studied and were more frequent (41%) with more severe outcomes in children younger than 2 years of age (52% deaths or major injuries). Meningitis (n=14) and dehydration (n=13) were the leading causes of claims, with highest mortalities (93% and 92%, respectively). The most common alleged misadventures were diagnosis-related error (47%), and medication error (13%). Malignancy was the most common medical condition incorrectly diagnosed (14%).ConclusionsPaediatric malpractice claims are less frequent in France than in the USA, but they share many similarities with those in the USA. These data would enhance the knowledge of high-risk areas in paediatric care that could be targeted to reduce the risk of medical malpractices and to improve patient safety.

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