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Claimed medical malpractice in fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections: the importance of combining ante- and post-mortem radiological data and autopsy findings for correct forensic analysis

2021; Elsevier BV; Volume: 25; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.fri.2021.200454

2666-2264

Laura Filograna, Guglielmo Manenti, Vincenzo Arena, Marco Dell’Aquila, Vincenzo L. Pascali, Luigi Natale, Cesare Colosimo, Simone Grassi, Roberto Floris, Antonio Oliva,

Medical Malpractice and Liability Issues

We present the case of an elderly woman who died from COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. The physicians in charge of the patient were later accused of medical malpractice resulting in the death of the patient. The article reviews the comprehensive medico-legal investigations into this case that included an analysis of the medical history, clinical imaging, post-mortem imaging, autopsy, histopathology, and microbiology as well as an assessment of the medical knowledge regarding transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the management of COVID-19 at the time of the patient's death. The investigation resulted in a verdict of not guilty. This case highlights the value of clinical and post-mortem imaging as well as various challenges of medico-legal investigations of COVID-19 related deaths.