Our Insights

A Medicolegal Perspective on the Impact of the Mental Capacity Act on Critical Care Practice  The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 came into force across England and Wales in April 2007. The aim of the Act is to set out in law the procedures to be followed to establish whether an individual has mantal capacity. […]

Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a compressive neuropathy of the nerve roots that leave the lower end of the spinal cord, which is a relatively rare complication following lumbar disc surgery (possibly due to underreporting).

Chronic pain is extremely common, affecting as many as 20% of adults in the UK at any one time. Chronic pain conditions are amongst the commonest reasons for disablement, with low back and neck pain consistently being the leading causes.

As with any procedure, there is a risk of complications following upper GI surgery. Many factors influence the occurrence of these, including increased age, male gender, comorbidities, very high body mass index and the experience of the treating team. Dr Martin Stotz discusses the challenges and potential complications associated with upper gastrointestinal surgery.

The loss of a family member by suicide is often extremely traumatic for those left behind and litigation in these circumstances is very common. However, as with every medicolegal case, it is necessary to prove that the treating psychiatrist and/or hospital staff were negligent and it was this negligence that led to the patient’s death.

The cervical spine, consisting of the bones in the neck, plays a crucial role in supporting the head and protecting the spinal cord. Despite being relatively rare, cervical spine injuries are significant due to their potential severity and the need for prompt diagnosis to avoid devastating consequences.

A birth injury is defined as any structural damage and/or functional deterioration that occurs in a newborn infant as a direct result of a traumatic event during labour, delivery or both.

In the context of clinical medicine, bias is the predisposition to form premature or undue impressions that are not based on the actual data to hand. Hindsight bias refers to the tendency to exaggerate one’s own ability to predict the inevitability of an outcome once that outcome is already known.

Failure to obtain proper consent is a common cause of litigation. Given that the number of dentoalveolar surgical procedures is rising, a lack of proper informed consent being obtained from patients is likely to become an increasing issue.

Ankle injuries are extremely frequent: sprains account for around 5% of all Emergency Department visits in the UK each year, while ankle fractures are one of the commonest fractures to require surgical intervention.

Arterial injury is an extremely rare consequence of joint replacement surgery. Despite its rarity, arterial injury is associated with high levels of both morbidity and mortality and can have a serious impact on the viability of the limb.

Current treatment options for chronic pain are limited in terms of their efficacy, particularly over the long term. Recent research indicates that neuromodulation, including spinal cord stimulation, may offer genuine hope to patients with chronic neuropathic pain.