Better Safe Than Sorry: Medico- Legal Do’s & Don’ts, Dr. Lalit Kapoor

PATIENT ‘DEAD ON ARRIVAL’ – WHAT NEXT? By Dr. Lalit Kapoor © An unresponsive patient is brought to your clinic, nursing home, or casualty and is on examination found to be dead viz. Dead on Arrival (DOA) In some countries it is  also known as BID – Brought In Dead . The Immediate question that needs to be answered is whether or not you should perform CPR. It is sometimes a dilemma. NOTE **SUSPENDED ANIMATION  Suspended animation : It is also called ‘apparent death’ –a condition which may persist from a few seconds to several minutes after which patient may revive. It may occur in cases of drowning, cerebral concussion, electrocution, in the new born, heat stroke, over dosage by barbiturates, etc. It is this condition which accounts for those cases which are reported in the media sometimes as patient waking up in the crematorium!! The decision to do CPR will depend on the history of the patient –both present and past, and the duration of the condition. For example, if it was...

MEDICO-LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF CLOSURE OF PRACTICE/ NURSING HOME By Dr. Lalit Kapoor© In recent times, a large number of colleagues have expressed intent to close down their practice or even their nursing homes. This has generated several concerns in their minds many of which are real and need to be crystallized and addressed. It is, therefore, appropriate to analyze and discuss some of the issues that may crop up in the process and to outline the safeguards one needs to observe so as to ensure trouble-free departure from practice! 📌 Want to retire 📌Going abroad or moving practice to another city 📌Declining   practice   / financial non-viability 📌Incapacitated due   to   major illness/disability 📌Victim of debilitating malpractice litigation. 📌Can’t handle medico-legal stress, new draconian legislations, patient hostility, staff shortages. FED UP – ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! 📌Changing Profession to any of the following Full-time Advocate Hospital administrator Joining i...

GOING ON LEAVE OR VACATION?    PRE-EMPT MEDICO-LEGAL PROBLEMS By Dr. Lalit Kapoor There are times when we have to take a break in our practice for various reasons and for varying periods ---whether to attend a conference, to go for a family marriage or for a well-deserved vacation with the family, and so on.     But it is prudent to take a few elementary precautions before you proceed. This will help you enjoy your break much better and ensure there are no post-vacation shocks in the form of malpractice issues.   A few examples will suffice to convey the intent of this presentation. A Gynecologist planned to attend a 2-day conference in a neighboring city. The patient on whom she had done LSCS about 5 days earlier had recovered uneventfully and was to be discharged the following morning. Prior to her departure,  she examined the patient and personally gave detailed instructions to the patient for precautions, medications, and follow-up.  The next day...