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Biomedical subjects

C Keyes

Publications and source records attributed to C Keyes.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Medical malpractice and legal resolution systems in Japan.

Medical malpractice claims and dispute resolution systems have been examined in Western societies for their impact on the quality of care and efficient compensation for injured patients. However, little is known about the Japanese malpractice environment because claim information has been closely guarded. Based on data from the Japanese Supreme Court, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (formerly the Ministry of Health and Welfare), and the Japan Medical Association (JMA), which provides malpractice insurance to 43.5% of Japan's 250 000 physicians, we review Japanese malpractice liability systems and the frequency of claims during the last 30 years. Annual premiums for physician professional liability insurance are relatively low (454 dollars-491 dollars). Although the frequency of claims in Japan is lower than that reported in the United States, England, and Germany, the number of claims is increasing in Japan. According to publicly available data from the Japanese Supreme Court, the annual number of medical malpractice suits filed in district courts has increased from 102 in 1970 to 629 in 1998 (from 0.09 to 0.25 per 100 physicians). The proportion of awards greater than 89 dollars 300 increased from 13.6% in 1976 to 65.4% in 1987. Among JMA members, claims increased 31% from 1987 to 1999, but the frequency of claims has remained at approximately 0.3 per 100 JMA members. The JMA's professional liability program offers a nonbinding out-of-court review of claims that is faster and less expensive than judicial resolution (a few months with no attorney required vs 35 months and attorney fees), but is a poor means of deterrence or discipline. Since JMA data represent only 43.5% of Japanese physicians, generalizations cannot be made about all Japanese physicians and institutions. The lack of data on all claims hinders adequate evaluation of dispute resolution methods, development of appropriate risk management activities, and proactive education for Japanese physicians.

Insurance, Liability↗

The Costa Rican emergency medicine residency: design and implementation of a new specialty training program in Central America.

A program of physician training in the specialty of emergency medicine was developed in Costa Rica, Central America, during the years 1993 and 1994. The program involved 2 phases: a faculty preparation course, and the residency itself. The preparation of faculty members for the residency was undertaken in Costa Rica, with a US emergency faculty physician residing in the host country to assist in the development of the program. Twenty-one faculty members were prepared to teach the residency curriculum. A core group of Costa Rican physician educators with assistance from the US emergency medicine specialist developed a curriculum suitable for the needs of the region. A selection process for prospective applicants to the residency program is described. The first residents began training in February 1994, just before completion of the faculty program. The first emergency medicine specialists graduated from the 3-year training program in 1997. The residency program continues to function at the time of this publication. This description is offered as one model for the initiation of emergency medicine specialty training in a developing country.

Costa Rica↗

Guidelines for prescribing psychiatrists in consultative, collaborative, and supervisory relationships.

Most psychiatrists enter into a variety of professional relationships with other clinicians in which they prescribe medications or make recommendations about pharmacotherapy. This paper describes a set of guidelines for prescribing psychiatrists involved in consultation, collaboration, and supervision with other clinicians. The guidelines were developed by psychiatrists for the Harvard Risk Management Foundation. The terms consultation, collaboration, and supervision are defined, and the psychiatrist's roles and responsibilities in each type of arrangement are described. The guidelines limit consultation and collaboration to relationships with professionals who are licensed or credentialed. Based on the definitions, the paper describes a structure for working with other clinicians, which begins with a thorough assessment of the context and circumstances of the clinical situation. The guidelines strongly encourage structured communication among clinicians and with the patient and significant others, as well as clarification by clinicians of their respective responsibilities for treatment and follow-up.

Clinical Competence↗

"Every defect is a treasure".

After seeing multiple providers for various complaints, a patient becomes frustrated with the healthcare system. She is diagnosed with acromegaly secondary to pituitary tumor when she transfers to another healthcare system.

Acromegaly↗

Toxicokinetics of paraquat through the heart-lung block. Six cases of acute human poisoning.

A technique is described in which the toxicokinetics of paraquat on passage through the heart and lung were studied by means of blood samples drawn simultaneously from the pulmonary and radial arteries in six cases of acute human life-threatening paraquat intoxications. There was a trend for the radial plasma concentrations of paraquat to be greater than or equal to the pulmonary concentrations. This data suggests that from a clinical point of view the distribution of paraquat into the lungs is not a slow process. There may also exist some efflux of the paraquat into the circulation. This efflux of paraquat may result from direct lung and/or heart injury induced by massive paraquat poisoning.

Adult↗

Paraquat poisoning. An overview of the current status.

Paraquat is a bipyridyl compound with no known chronic toxicity or teratogenicity. It is poorly absorbed when inhaled, but causes severe illness when ingested orally, death usually occurring within 2 days of ingestion of 50 mg/kg. At lower doses death may be delayed for several weeks. The toxic compound accumulates in lung tissue where free radicals are formed, lipid peroxidation is induced and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) is depleted. This produces diffuse alveolitis followed by extensive pulmonary fibrosis. The most important prognostic indicator is the quantity of paraquat absorbed, as shown by the plasma paraquat concentration. While renal failure will develop in the majority of those patients who eventually die, it may not, if present alone, indicate a fatal outcome. The absence of caustic burns in the upper digestive tract indicates a good prognosis. Treatment of paraquat poisoning remains ineffective, but Fuller's earth, activated charcoal and resins may prevent some absorption of the toxin. When tubular necrosis occurs, renal excretion of the compound decreases rapidly. A 3-compartment pharmacokinetic model has been described following ingestion of tracer doses including a 'deep' compartment for active pulmonary accumulation. Haemodialysis, haemoperfusion and forced dialysis have been attempted, with no clear improvement in survival rates. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, N-acetylcysteine and other 'free radical scavengers' have failed to alter the outcome in poisoned patients. Other theoretical treatments, such as deferoxamine, immunotherapy, NADPH repletion and lung transplantation still require clinical validation.

Charcoal↗