The MedLegal Times

Current issue
Consent obtained for diagnosis is invalid for therapeutic procedure
Posted On: December 01, 2024

Consent plays an important role in healthcare delivery, patient care and patient safety. While the aspects of consent can differ from case to case, consent taken for diagnostic procedure is not valid for subsequent therapeutic procedure/s.

The patient experienced abdominal pain and hence, consulted the doctor. Consent was taken to perform diagnosis; stone in gall bladder was reported. The doctor performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but to no avail.
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Crucial injection not available in a ‘large hospital’ – Shocking!
Posted On: December 01, 2024

A reputed hospital in this case was found to be on wrong side of the law. It neither maintained records about unavailability of a critical care injection nor could provide the reason why it was not stocked or for that matter, why was patient’s family not advised to purchase it from outside.

The patient was taken to the hospital for medical care. He was prescribed injection Nirmin, but was administered injection Albumin. Few hours later, he suffered a fatal heart attack.
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Delay in emergency cases could be considered as a cardinal sin
Posted On: December 01, 2024

The patient sustained severe injuries in a train accident. Initially, he was rushed to a hospital where first aid was provided. Further medical care could not be provided as it did not have specialist doctors. The patient was transferred to another hospital.

For strange reasons there was a delay of thirty-two hours before patient’s legs were amputated. In fact, the left leg was amputated eight inches below knee and the right eleven inches. A revision surgery was subsequently performed to correct this mistake.
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Drug trial and therapeutic trial – What’s the difference?
Posted On: December 01, 2024

There is a clear-cut difference between a drug trial and therapeutic trial. Prescribing drug for a therapeutic trial is not against the law as long as requisite tests are performed, as happened in this case.

The patient experienced pain in her right knee. She was a known case of rheumatoid arthritis. The doctor, an experienced orthopaedic surgeon, prescribed Leflunomide for thirty days. Soon after taking the medicine, itching and rashes developed all over patient’s body.
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Hospital committing to an elective surgery during pandemic and not performing it – Perplexing!
Posted On: December 01, 2024

The patient suffered from heart ailments. He was advised to undergo Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG). However, date of this elective surgery given by the hospital was after a long period, and the patient did not want to wait.

He approached a private hospital where the doctors admitted him and fixed a closer date for surgery. Unfortunately, the date coincided with the peak of second wave of COVID pandemic.

While the patient was admitted and pre-surgery investigations were performed, the hospital refused to operate the patient.
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