title: [Medico-legal assessment of selected cases of perinatal complications resulting in death of the woman during childbirth. Medical error or therapeutic failure?].
abstract: Medico-legal estimation of therapeutic management in cases of perinatal complications, especially those resulting in death of the women during childbirth is usually very difficult. The authors have investigated medical documentation supported by the results of autopsies of cases chosen from the casuistry of the Forensic Medicine Department, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice. Considering the limits of professional liability and legal responsibility of physicians, close attention was paid to standard therapeutic management and increased risk in treatment with regard to that relating to typical salubrious complications. The presented cases of deaths of women during childbirth can be the succeeding opinion in broad discussion on medical errors as well as an attempt to standardise and differentiate the medical error from therapeutic failure which occurred within the reach of risk in the undertaken treatment.
authors.affiliation: Zakładu Medycyny Sadowej Slaskiej Akademii Medycznej w Katowicach.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chowaniec
authors.forename: Czesław
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chowaniec
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jabłoński
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nowak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000592:standards; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D019300:Medical Errors; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D036801:Parturition; D011044:Poland; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure