Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Forensic Medicine - Toxicology

Malpractice actions against doctors are not a new thing but the increased frequency of such actions and the damage amounts obtained can increase till they threaten the delivery of medical services. At this point we begin to speak of a medical malpractice crisis. This cross-sectional study aims to revise the closed claims of malpractice investigated by the medico legal authority through the years 2009 and 2010 to throw the light on the medical malpractice in Egypt, evaluate their prevalence, as well as their distribution in different (governorates and health care sectors). The study found that most of malpractice claims involved females above the age of 18 years old from the Delta& Alexandria region. The majority of claims occurred in private health care sectors. The commonest branches to be accused were general surgery& obstetrics/ gynecology .However unsatisfied outcome was the commonest outcome in the studied claims. The majority of defendant health care sectors were male specialists. Malpractice didn't approve in the majority of claims. Negligence was the commonest cause in proved malpractice cases

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