title: [The physician's liability from the viewpoint of a university surgery department].
abstract: Malpractice suits against physicians have increased tremendously during the last years. We have analysed 108 cases with alleged malpractice. Twenty-two suits had not been settled yet at the time of this study. The documents were not available in twenty-one cases. There were court decisions in 65 cases. Fourty-eight times the accused physicians could be exculpated. In 12 cases a settlement out of court could be reached. The accused physician was found guilty in 4 cases. Reduction in the number of malpractice suits can be achieved in our opinion by exact documentation of clinical findings and laboratory results as well as by a better and more detailed information of the patients.
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005104:Expert Testimony; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008318:Malpractice / Q000639:trends*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital
vernacular_title: Die Hatung des Arztes aus der Sicht einer Chirurgischen Universitätsklinik.