title: [The legal basis of blood transfusion].
abstract: Blood transfusion is a procedure in which it is incumbent on the attendant doctor to undertake appropriate enlightenment of the patient, obtain the patient's consent, define the precise indications and perform the task with technical proficiency. The doctor undertaking blood transfusion must be acquainted with the legal basis for these responsibilities and be aware of the legal aspects which free him from these obligations in exceptional cases. Since the urgency of transfusion varies from case to case the following classification is proposed: normal cases, special cases and emergency cases. In view of the lack of legal guiding principles, the "3-stage cross-match test" in saline and albumin milieu, as well as in the Coombs test is recommended, in accordance with the provisions existing in Switzerland, the Federal Republic of Germany and in France. The procedure to be used in emergency cases is discussed. Moreover, advice is given in the event of fatal complications on the basis of a discussion of the causative factors and legal consequences involved in 21 cases which came to autopsy by order of the coroner.
mesh_terms: D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D001787:Blood Group Incompatibility; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D007603:Jurisprudence; D007883:Legislation, Medical; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System
vernacular_title: Rechtsgrundlagen der Bluttransfusion.