[Information and consensus for an appropriate medical-legal management of nosocomial infections, also in the light of the recommendations of the Joint Commission International Accreditation and the directions of the Supreme Court].
The author, underlined the general importance of the information towards the persons who receive hospital assistance and recalled also the historical bases and the international inquiry upon this matter, precises the reasons that need particular information procedure regarding the hospital infections, because the problems raised by these infections and the safety measures against them request to involve also all people entering the hospital as visitors. On the basis of some specific items fixed by the Joint Commission International Accreditation in order of the duties of the hospital directions, well applicable on this matter, the author suggests that the material impossibility to zeroing occurrence of the hospital infections, in case of litigations between hospitals and patients needs alternative dispute solutions. In this respect the author mentions the opportunities created by law in France and, very recently, in Italy too. Finally, the author points out the pretentions of the Italian Supreme Court about the completeness and the precision that must caractherize the procedure of informed consent about all risks of every medical activity, otherwise the liability of the hospitals and the members of their care staffs is quite presumed--even from the point of view of the penal aforethought--while the medical performance has been proper.
Dipartimento di Medicina Legale, Scienze Forensi e Farmaco-Tossicologiche, Sezione di Medicina Legale e Scienze Forensi, Università di Pavia, Italy.
Fabio
F
Buzzi
D032921:Consensus; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D007558:Italy; D007882:Legislation, Hospital; D016365:Liability, Legal; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic