Medicine and law
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There is little existing policy related to Forensic Evidence collection in the Emergency Department environment within New Zealand (NZ). A case study based on the Christchurch Hospital Emergency Department (ChCh ED) environment is presented, which outlines the need to develop a specialised nursing role, that of Forensic Nurse Practitioner (emergency care). The role of nursing input in the field of Forensic Medicine in NZ is essentially limited to the psychiatric focus. ⋯ Awareness of the importance of forensic evidence collection, appropriate storage and disposal of material is growing. Legal implications have significance for nurses, in particular with the movement towards Advanced Nursing Practice with its focus on increasing autonomy, accountability and independent practice. In order to achieve holistic healthcare and to provide appropriate and effective interventions, forensic emergency nursing skills need to be developed.
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Respect for the wishes of a patient is internationally accepted as standard medical practice. In French law, this principle is enshrined in the Civil Code of 1994 which concerns bioethics. More recently in 2002, we find it included in the Code of Public Health (in the law concerning patient's rights). ⋯ Not respecting the patient's wishes is a great infringement of individual freedom. The doctor will not err only under extreme and precise conditions. Should the doctor go against those wishes? Should the wishes of the patient be respected when their life is at stake? The authors will discuss these two questions.
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This article aims to highlight issues related to malpractice in plastic surgery and to point out the importance of good understanding of the law and the value of a patient's written informed consent as measures of professional protection. ⋯ In today's litigious society, maintenance of high standards in daily practice with continuous training and appropriate documentation of every procedure are all a sufficient defense of the plastic surgeon in case of medical litigation. Written patient's informed consent remains an integral part of the communication between physicians and patients, and importantly is facilitating professional protection.
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This is an attempt to present an analysis of the literature examining objective information concerning the likelihood of medicolegal errors as it applies to current medical practice. Hopefully this information will be synthesized to generate a cogent approach to manage risk in emergency medicine. ⋯ The current emergency medicine medicolegal dilemmas are a complex interaction of both patient and physician factors specifically targeting several disease categories and damage claims. Awareness of these issues can help to minimize subsequent medicolegal risk and improve patient care.
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This paper examines some of the medico-legal issues that arose as a result of a situation which occurred in May 2001 in Ireland when a woman who was a British citizen and who was fourteen weeks pregnant collapsed and suffered a brain haemorrhage. She was taken to hospital where she was placed on life support but declared brain-dead. As a result of the uncertainty regarding the hospital's obligation to the foetus, life-support was maintained until further opinion was sought. ⋯ In Ireland there currently exists neither medical guidelines nor legislation to regulate such areas of medical practice. Also, the courts have not had the opportunity to comment on this particular matter and thus there exists widespread concern as to how healthcare providers will act if such situation were to occur again in the future. This article examines the following difficult medico-legal implications that arise from the above situation and especially in light of the constitutional protection of the unborn child in Ireland.