Analyses of Medical Malpractice Judgments at the Issue of Pulmonary Thromboembolism

Abstract

We analyzed 20 judgments of medical malpractice suits at the issue of pulmonary thromboembolism. The judgment results almost corresponded to tendencies of public opinion to the Japanese medical systems. The main issues of the malpractice suits were uselessness or delay of heparin as a medical treatment, lack or misdiagnosis of primary examinations, and delay of appropriate treatments. The judgments using the Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) guideline were reasonable.