title: [Patient preparation and premedication--legal aspects].
abstract: The legal demands concerning the methods of treatment required of an anaesthetist are determined by the quality of the specialist and the professional standard. As long as there is no premedication procedure which is generally considered superior to all others, the anaesthetist can freely choose the procedure, while carefully considering benefits and risks on the basis of the individual circumstances of each case. The patient must be informed about the anaesthesia before premedication since the latter inhibits his/her ability to make decisions.
authors.affiliation: Justitiar des Berufsverbandes Deutscher Anästhesisten, Nürnberg.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weissauer
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011229:Preanesthetic Medication; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence