[Medico-legal implications of coronary angioplasty among seniors]

Abstract

It's commonplace to declare that seniors are more fragile, because of a higher rate of comorbidities and complex coronary lesions. However, they take great benefit from angioplasty during acute coronary syndrome, with a higher rate of complications. Based on the study of claims reported to a French medical insurer, it is found that people over 75 years old among victims of interventional cardiology accidents is proportional to the population of seniors in the French population (around 10%). Conversely, the mortality of those seniors was much higher than patients under 75 (83% versus 30%). A strategy, which involves families and anticipates the risks of those fragile patients (fragility of structures, risk of decompensation of comorbidities [kidneys, hemostasis]) can help to prevent the risk of accidents, but may also reduce medico-legal implications of cardiologists.

Keywords: Cognitive decline; Consentement; Déclin cognitif; Famille; Family; Inform consent; Information; Preparation; Préparation.