CASE REPORT   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana - Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2022 June;181(6):476-81

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.20.04577-5

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Medical-legal aspects of injuries due to extrasavation of antiblastic chemotherapy drugs: case reporting

Patrizia GUALNIERA, Serena SCURRIA ✉, Alessio ASMUNDO

Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

The observation of some cases of extravasation lesions in the course of intravenous infusion of antiblastic chemotherapy drugs provided the starting point for some reflections on the professional responsibility of health workers, as well as on the need for particular consideration of such adverse events in the context of clinical risk management. The data from the literature consulted and the case studies of our observation have shown that in the infusion of antiblastic chemotherapeutic drugs there are non-negligible risks of adverse events, sometimes with significant damaging consequences, which may result in disabling impairments of equal importance. In the medical-legal assessment of the professional responsibility of health professionals, it appears essential to know what the risk factors are, as well as the behaviours that should be implemented in order to avoid extravasation and its consequences, or to make the latter more limited. In fact, prevention is the most effective tool to counteract the multiple harmful effects of extravasation of antiblastic drugs and, in this sense, adequate training of the nursing staff is essential. Extravasation should also always be reported to the risk management units of the reference hospital for those activities that aim to control the quality of the assistance provided and prevention.

KEY WORDS: Antineoplastic agents; Malpractice; Risk management