TY - JOUR
AR - JSCR-2020-4-111
TI - The Difference Between Malpractice and Adverse Event: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature
AU - Damaskos, Christos
AU - Dimitrios , Mantas
AU - Spartalis, Eleftherios
JO - Surgery Case Reports
PY - 2020
DA - Thu 31, Dec 2020
SN - 2733-225X
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.JSCR.2020.04.11
UR - https://www.sciencerepository.org/the-difference-between-malpractice-and-adverse-event_JSCR-2020-4-111 
KW - Malpractice, adverse, event, surgery, risk, results, unexpected, sequela, complication
AB - Background/Aim: The practice of surgery may lead to unexpected results and most such results come due
to risk in the practice of medicine. Our aim is to identify the difference between malpractice and adverse
event.
Case Presentation: A young male patient who experienced a cascade of adverse events after a laparoscopic
cholecystectomy and even though he had the ultimate treatment an unknown and extensive atherosclerotic
coronary arteries disease had led to a fatal left ventricular corruption due to an extensive myocardial
infarction.
Results: The relatives of the patient filed a lawsuit against the surgeon due to the perception that death was
caused by malpractice.
Conclusion: Evidence-based medicine should not become defensive, since not every unpleasant event is
due to malpractice or negligence.