title: [Medical liability lawsuits according to specialties in Chile].
abstract: One-hundred forty-five cases of medical liability lawsuits originating in Chile from January 1987 to June 1991 and studied at the Medico Legal Service, were reviewed. A persistent increase in the number of accusations is observed in these five years. The principal medical specialties involved are Obstetrics and Gynecology (32%), General Surgery (18%), Internal Medicine (15%) and Pediatrics (9%). Seventy seven percent of implicated physicians were accredited specialists. Fifty percent of cases originated from Santiago and 60% from public hospitals. Eighty three percent of analyzed medical records were complete and in 70% the number of laboratory tests requested was adequate. The most frequent conditions that motivated lawsuits were acute fetal distress and puerperal sepsis in Obstetrics and Gynecology, acute abdomen and intra-operatory cardiac arrests in Surgery and sepsis in Internal Medicine. The risk of an unfavorable consequence that may lead to a lawsuit is present in every clinical condition, even in seemingly simple situations.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Hospital José Joaquín Aguirre, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosmanich
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Velásquez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002677:Chile; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice; D008511:Medicine; D008875:Middle Aged; D012941:Social Responsibility; D013038:Specialization
vernacular_title: Querellas por responsabilidad médica según especialidades en Chile.