Legal Issues in Emergency Medicine

This book provides a clear pathway through the common yet complex legal dilemmas frequently encountered in emergency medical practice.

On any given day in the emergency department, the chance of confronting a medical-legal dilemma is significant. Emergency medicine and critical care practitioners may have to deal with malpractice claims, informed consent, protection of minors, resuscitation, operational issues and legal compliance requirements frequently. Substantial knowledge of the law as it pertains to their emergency care and acute care practice is essential. Legal Issues in Emergency Medicine is an invaluable resource for medical practitioners, legal practitioners and administrators in practice and in training. The book covers key topics that have direct relevance to day to day acute patient care practice. Each topic includes a clinical vignette, followed by a review of the legal controversy, current medical scientific evidence, case law and preventative solutions to the dilemma. This approach allows practitioner exposure to a wide variety of medical-legal problems, allowing a pre-emptive, informed approach to problem solving.