Acute myocarditis and the law
Malaret, G.E.
Boletin de la Asociacion Medica de Puerto Rico 86(1-3): 16-19
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-4849 Document Number: 703011
Eight cases of severe acute myocarditis are presented, five of whom died within two to four days of onset and one ten days later. Six ended in court with the attendant cost and stress that this entails both for the plaintiffs and the defendants. Medically, little can be done for these cases because of the acute fulminating course but if the diagnosis had been suspected and the family alerted perhaps litigation could have been avoided. The important aspect of these cases are the actions that were not taken and might have been taken, the identification of the warning signs and symptons that should have alerted the physician as to the forthcoming problems and the way the legal mind works in evaluating such cases. The lessons to be learned are listen to the patient, review closely the vital signs in any acute patient, make sure that the basic tests are done, and talk with the family.
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