Legal aspects of emergency treatment of the neurologically injured patient.
Brain and spinal cord injuries are medicolegally hazardous for the emergency department staff and prehospital emergency care personnel to handle. The reason for this is because of the severity and permanence of their sequelae. A part of the problem involves the unpredictability of when neurologic symptoms and signs will develop. They may develop immediately after the injury, or they may develop at an unpredictable time minutes to hours thereafter. This article cites a few examples of neurologic injuries that resulted in litigation against emergency care personnel.
George
J E
JE
Emergency Physician Associates, P.A., Woodbury, New Jersey.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004635:Emergency Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007603:Jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000628:therapy*