Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30159706›Full record

ArticleChild's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery2019

Pediatric neurosurgery malpractice claims in Germany.

Thomas Beez, Hans-Jakob Steiger, Beate Weber, Sebastian Alexander Ahmadi

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Article in Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

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4citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Thomas BeezDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. thomas.beez@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.ORCID 0000-0002-8715-5237
Hans-Jakob SteigerDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Beate WeberNorth Rhine Medical Council (Ärztekammer Nordrhein), Tersteegenstr. 9, 40474, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Sebastian Alexander AhmadiDepartment of Neurosurgery, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThere is limited data regarding malpractice claims in pediatric neurosurgery. Aim of this study was to analyze the rate, subject, and outcome of malpractice claims faced by pediatric neurosurgeons.

methodsWe analyzed malpractice claims in pediatric neurosurgical patients assigned to the review board of North Rhine Medical Council from 2012 to 2016. Claims were categorized as "medical error" or "adverse event, no medical error." Severity was graded from negligible (grade 1) to death (grade 6).

resultsOf 391 pediatric malpractice claims, seven (1.8%) concerned pediatric neurosurgery. Claims were related to cranial surgery (N = 5), spinal surgery (N = 1), and a neuro-interventional procedure (N = 1). Of operative cases, three were shunt operations, two were cranioplasty procedures, and one was a spinal fusion. Complications of medical care (adverse events) had occurred in all cases. A medical error was detected in only one case. Severity of damage was grade 2 (transient minor) in three, grade 3 (transient major) in one, and grade 5 (permanent major) in three cases, respectively.

conclusionsPediatric neurosurgery accounted for 1.8% of all pediatric malpractice claims. In 14% of these claims, a medical error was confirmed. Malpractice claim rate thus appears to be lower than expected for a high-risk specialty. , adverse events were confirmed in all cases, a negligent medical error was rare. Adverse event rate appears to be a predictor for malpractice claim burden, highlighting the importance of surgical checklists, standard operating procedures and morbidity and mortality surveillance.

Indexed as

GermanyHumansMalpracticeMedical ErrorsNeurosurgeryNeurosurgical ProceduresPediatricsAdverse eventChildrenLitigationMedical error

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.