Legal Risk Management for Hospitals in Austria

A patient died in a private hospital in Tyrol due to the incorrect administration nitrous oxide. It was made a mistake between oxygen and nitrous oxide during the intervertebral disks operation which caused his death by an overdose. The inquiry arose to the facts that the connector plugs had been installed to the wrong lines. Who might be liable for the negligent homicide? The answer might be the company which had installed the lines and the connector plugs as well as the anaesthetist as the alarm which should be active and ring if the oxygen content is too low was switched off. Also the hospital?s legally and economically responsible body might be liable for the mortal negligence according to the law. Furthermore the media reported that the operation theatre was recently re-engineered and not yet licensed and officially approved by the authorities according to the building regulations law. Hence the use of the operation theatre was not yet allowed. Finally also the management of the hospital might have violated applicable legal regulations. Legal Risk Management might help to avoid the accrual of a cause of legal responsibility. The book also describes Risk Management in general.