Abstract
Using multiple court case search systems, we analyzed 83 reports involving the prevention and postinfection control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and other infectious agents. Many of the 83 cases involved postoperative patients, and the outcome was most often death. MRSA is the most common cause of public health problems in the past 20 years (1995–2014). Problems associated with P. aeruginosa include mortality due to multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa (MDRP). Additionally, terms such as “clinical practice guidelines,” “systemic inflammatory response syndrome,” and “Gram staining” started to appear more frequently in more recent judicial judgments. Comparison of infection preventive measures and post-infection control measures found that errors were often dismissed in the former compared to the latter. In terms of postinfection control measures, issues were related to the need for blood culture tests and selection of the appropriate antimicrobial drug. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that it is important to provide sufficient information to patients and their family members before surgery, at the detection of MRSA/MDRP infection, and after death. Furthermore, regardless of compliance with the clinical practice guidelines, the guidelines must be considered for establishing measures for infection prevention and postinfection control. Healthcare institutions must also document specific measures for infection prevention and to perform Gram staining for postinfection control.
