ObjectiveTo learn about the awareness of medical liability-related provisions of Tort Liability Act of undergraduates in medical schools, thus to provide reference for the modification of teaching plans of undergraduate medical education. MethodsBetween September and December 2012, we conducted a sampling survey on undergraduates of West China Medical School using a self-designed questionnaire about medical liability-related provisions of Tort Liability Act. ResultsGenerally, students'awareness of the provisions was low, and most of the students did not have a good understanding of the provisions related to medical disputes. The respondents'knowledge of medical liability-related provisions of Tort Liability Act did not match with their grade in school and their level of medical knowledge. Most of their knowledge about medical law was learned from mass media. Undergraduate medical students had an expectation to learn more about medical law from class. ConclusionMedical law classes should be put into the teaching plans of medical education.
ObjectiveTo explore the forensic pathology features of foreign body and its emergency treatment: Heimlich maneuver. MethodsWe carried out a review of relevant literature and autopsy findings of 8 cases of foreign body suffocation at West China Forensic Identification Center of Sichuan University from 2000 to 2012. ResultsThe most common foreign body reported was undigested food. Children, old people and middle-aged men who were drunk were vulnerable to choking. The most effective resuscitative procedure in such cases was Heimlich maneuver, but it had been noted to result in significant intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic injuries if performed incorrectly. ConclusionIt is necessary to take some preventive measures to avoid the foreign body, and the publicity of Heimlich maneuver to reduce the incidence and mortality of foreign body is important.
ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of the Salter innominate osteotomy on the acetabular morphology and direction and the relationship between them in children with developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH) by three-dimensional CT. MethodsBetween January 2013 and January 2015, 51 patients with unilateral DDH were treated. All patients were females with an average age of 2 years and 5 months (range, one year and 6 months to 5 years). All the patients underwent open reduction of the hip, Salter innominate osteotomy, proximal femoral osteotomy, and hip cast immobilization for treatment. The data of three-dimensional CT before surgery and at 1 week after surgery were measured and collected as follows:the anterior acetabular index (AAI), posterior acetabular index (PAI), axial acetabular index (AxAI), acetabular anteversion angle (AAA) of the acetabulum, and the distances of the forward, outward, and lateral rotation of the distal osteotomy fragments. The differences of AAI, PAI, AxAI, AAA between before and after surgeries were compared and the difference values of the data with significant difference results were calculated. The relationship between the difference values and the distances of three different rotation directions before and after surgeries were tested by Spearman correlation analysis. ResultsThere were significant differences in the AAI, PAI, and AAA between before and after surgery (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found in the AxAI between before and after surgery (t=0.878, P=0.384). The difference values of AAI, PAI, and AAA were (4.518±4.601), (4.219±6.660), and (3.919±4.389)° respectively. The distances of the outward, lateral, and forward rotation of the distal osteotomy fragments after surgery were (0.420±0.339), (2.440±0.230), and (0.421±0.311) cm. There was a significant correlation between the three different rotation directions and AAI difference (P<0.05), especialy the outward rotation (r=0.981). There was a correlation between the outward, forward rotation and PAI, AAI differences (P<0.05), and no significant correlation between the lateral rotation and PAI, AAA was found (P>0.05). There was a significant correlation between the forward rotation and AAA difference (r=0.841). ConclusionSalter innominate osteotomy can increase the curvature of the anterior wall of the acetabulum in DDH, but reduce the curvature of the rear wall. At the same time, it can also change the direction of the acetabulum, significantly decrease the acetabular anteversion, but it can not change the depth of the acetabulum. The main factors of the curvature change after Salter innominate osteotomy of DDH is attributable to outward rotation, followed by forward rotation, and the main factor of the acetabular direction change is attributable to forward rotation.
ObjectiveTo understand the cognition and mediation tendencies of health care workers in terms of third-party mediation for medical disputes, analyze the factors influencing the trust of both doctors and patients on third-party mediation, and propose suggestions on building third-party mediation mechanisms for medical disputes. MethodsBetween August and December 2012, we made the cognition questionnaire on third-party mediation for medical disputes based on the past medical literature, and the knowledge of doctor-patient relationship as well as third-party mediation agency's organizational structure (including locations and management authorities), staffing, mediation basis, validity sources and fund ensuring. We performed the random cluster sampling survey on all health care workers in five hospitals of different levels. The original data were put into the computer for statistical analysis by SPSS 18.0. ResultsThe knowledge of health care workers on third-party mediation was high. They believed that the best place for solving medical disputes should be the court or judicial administrative department, and the management authorities should be health administrative departments. In case of mediation failure, the majority of health care staff chose to continue to solve the dispute through legal channels. For the effectiveness of mediation conclusion, most health care workers tended to believe in the form of arbitration. They thought that mediators should have professional background of medicine and law; the majority of those surveyed doctors tended to accept forensic conclusions as a basis for mediation. For determining the compensation, doctors were in favor of Applicable Regulations for Medical Malpractice. Over 40% of medical staff believed that third-party mediation should be financed by government financial allocation, and more than half of the medical staff believed that it should be paid by the insurance company. ConclusionThird-party mediation should be set in and managed by the court or judicial and administrative departments. Mediator group should be formed by professionals of law and medical sciences. In the mediation process, it is recommended that the focus of controversy should be identified by forensic identification in order to form a clear division of responsibilities and high mediation efficiency. We recommend that the government introduce in financial allocations at all levels on the basis of medical liability insurance system, and force medical institutions to purchase medical liability insurance through the regulations of law, in order to provide funding support for the operation of third-party mediation organizations. Meanwhile, medical liability insurance companies should be operated under strict supervision to avoid their interference on the mediation work.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the short-term effectiveness of transarticular fixation of humeroradial joint by Kirschner wire (or combined with proximal ulnar osteotomy) for old radial head dislocation after open reduction of the radial head in children. MethodsA retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 25 children with old radial head dislocation between January 2008 and December 2010.There were 18 boys and 7 girls,aged 2 years and 5 months to 9 years and 5 months (mean,5 years and 11 months).The left side was involved in 13 cases,and the right side in 12 cases.The interval of injury and operation was 3 weeks to 30 months (median,14 months).The main presentations were abnormal mass in the anterior elbow,motion limitation of forearm pronation,and dorsiflexion inability of wrist and thumb.Three patients had radial nerve lesion.In 23 patients with simple radial head dislocation,transarticular fixation of humeroradial joint by Kirschner wire was used after open reduction of the radial head; in 2 patients with Monteggia fracture,transarticular fixation by Kirschner wire and additional proximal ulnar osteostomy were used. ResultsA primary healing of incision was obtained,without complication of infection,joint stiffness,or radial head necrosis.Twenty-four patients were followed up 29-58 months (mean,44.3 months); one case had re-dislocation,failed to be followed up at 2.5 months postoperatively.In 3 patients with radial nerve injury,neural function recovery was obtained in 2 cases,and no improvement was observed in 1 case.Twenty-three had no pain,no deformity,and no motion limitation of elbow and forearm except 1 patient with no improvement of neural function.The mean range of montion (ROM) of elbow flexion was 134° (range,125-140°),and the mean ROM of extension was -4° (range,-8-0°); the mean ROM of forearm pronation was 74° (range,65-80°),and the ROM of supination was 90°.According to Mackay's criteria,the results were excellent in 22 cases,good in 1 case,and poor in 1 case at 2 years after operation. ConclusionThe transarticular fixation of humeroradial joint by Kirschner wire (or combined with proximal ulnar osteotomy) is a feasible and effective method to treat old radial head dislocation in children based on a short-term follow-up.