الفهرس 
Introduction
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Abstract
Summary
Medical malpractice is the failure to comply with the standard of care of the reasonably prudent physician in the same area of work or specialization.
A medical professional may be a doctor, a nurse, a medical technician, or other health care provider. In the case of a doctor who is a medical specialist, the standard of care is determined by the standard of good medical practice in that specialty. The term medical practice involves hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses, nursing homes, and virtually every other type of health care provider and facility. The bad outcome does not mean always that medical malpractice has occurred.
Medical malpractice may arise from failure to provide adequate medical care, the failure to properly diagnose a medical condition, or the failure to properly treat a medical condition. Examples include failure to properly diagnose a patient’s disease or injury resulting in improper or delayed management, improperly prescribing a drug, failing to inform the patient of available treatments, continuing a treatment that has shown to be ineffective.
The anesthetized patient is at risk of injuries resulting from actions or inactions of anesthetist, also there is a risk of failure or malfunction of anesthesia equipment which may cause multiple injuries to the anesthetized patient ranging from lip injury during laryngoscopy up to cardiac arrest by electric shock.
There are 2 types of anesthesia: general and local anesthesia. Both can have many complication:
- During general anesthesia, any part or organ of the body can be injuried, but the most common injuries during general anesthesia are:
- Airway structures injuries which include dental, lip, pharyngeal, tangue, laryngeal, tracheal, and esophageal injuries.
- Malpositioning of generally anesthetized patient especially long operations may cause many injuries.
- Cardiovascular system also may be injuried during general anesthesia mostly during cannulation, cannulation either peripheral or central.
- Central Nervous System injuries are very rare and very dangerous as mostly causing permanent insult.
Although regional anesthesia is believed to be more safe than general anesthesia, but it has its own injuries which make it not safe as believed.
This study was retrospective descriptive observational study. The sample was obtained from the available records and reports of Forensic Medical Authority in Fayoum governorate from the period of (2006-2010) which included 80 cases with malpractice of anesthesia.
The study showed that, the main cause of death was cardiac arrest in (70%) then respiratory arrest in (10%). Cardiac arrest is reported as the main cause of death in (76.5%) with general anesthesia and (50%) with spinal anesthesia but no cardiac arrest with local anesthesia. While only (11.8%) with general anesthesia reported respiratory arrest as the main cause of death and no respiratory arrest with spinal and local anesthesia .
In addition there was no death in 100% of cases of local anesthesia and 50% of spinal anesthesia and only (11.8%) of general anesthesia.
As regard the time in which complications had been discovered, it was mainly post-operative (70%), while (15%) developed complication pre-operative and only 2 cases (10%) the complication occurred during the operation.
In private hospitals (58.3%) reported cardiac arrest, (16.7%) reported respiratory arrest as the main cause of death. While public hospitals reported (87.5%) with cardiac arrest, no cases with respiratory arrest. Also, death occurred (87.5%) in public hospitals. While private hospitals had (75%) died.