title: "Can the intrapartum ultrasonography reduce the legal liability in distocic labor and delivery?"
abstract: The authors emphasize the importance of performing an intrapartum ultrasonography in order to prevent maternal and neonatal complications but also physician legal liability. The main advantages of using this technique are: improvement of fetal head's malposition diagnosis; prevention of maternal and fetal complications of childbirth due to the use of forceps or vacuum extractor (VE); a more accurate planning of cesarean section; a proof of professional correctness.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , GVM Care & Research Santa Maria Hospital Bari , Bari , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malvasi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Montanari Vergallo
authors.affiliation: c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Vito Fazzi Hospital , Lecce , Italy.|d International Translational Medicine and Biomodelling Research Group Department of Applied Mathematics , Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University) Moscow Region , Moscow , Russia.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tinelli
authors.affiliation: b Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marinelli
mesh_terms: D004420:Dystocia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Clinical examination; caesarean section; diagnostic error; intrapartum ultrasonography; professional liability