Ethics roundtable debate: A patient dies from an ICU-acquired infection related to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus--how do you defend your case and your team?
An elderly patient dies from septic shock in the intensive care unit. This is perhaps not an unusual scenario, but in this case the sepsis happens to have been due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, possibly related to a catheter, and possibly transmitted from a patient in a neighbouring room by less than adequate compliance with infection control procedures. The family decides to sue. We present how experts from four different countries assess the medicolegal issues involved in this case.
Vincent
Jean-Louis
JL
Department of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Belgium. jlvincen@ulb.ac.be
Brun-Buisson
Christian
C
Niederman
Michael
M
Haenni
Christian
C
Harbarth
Stephan
S
Sprumont
Dominique
D
Valencia
Mauricio
M
Torres
Antoni
A
D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007603:Jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control