The simple reason for creating this book was my impression that the law is having an increasing impact on the practice of medicine. There is hardly a physician I know who has not been deeply troubled by legal problems professionally, economically, and most important of all, psychologically. The past decade has seen medical practice premiums steadily rising. Multimillion dollar verdicts have not been unusual. Having disregarded these vital issues for many years, physicians have suddenly become very aware of litigation-related problems. Having been interested for a long time in the logic ofthe law and the romance of legal research, I thought it would be useful to create a book that would result in the blending of great minds in law and medicine. It has been my long­ standing observation and belief that the approach of professors of medicine, and that of learned members of the bar and bench, when put together, produce unique results. Putting these views together has been the real challenge in editing this book.

I: Law in Medicine: An Overview.- 1. The Evolution of Medical Malpractice Law.- 2. A Judicial Overview of Medical Malpractice.- 3. The Defense of a Malpractice Case.- 4. Tort Law as It Applies to Medical Malpractice Litigation.- 5. The Regulatory Law as It Affects Physicians.- 6. The Expert Witness in Medical Malpractice Litigation.- 7. The Physician and Antitrust Law.- 8. Risk Management for the Physician.- An Administrator's View of Risk Management.- A Physician's View of Risk Management.- 9. Protection of Research Subjects in Clinical Research.- 10. Informed Consent.- 11. Improving and Refocusing the Medical-Legal System.- 12. Ethics, Medicine, and the Law.- II: Legal Dimensions of Cardiology, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine.- 13. Legal Problems in Critical Care Units.- Medical Aspects of Critical Care Units.- Legal Aspects of Critical Care Units.- 14. Legal Aspects of Medical Inventions.- 15. Mysteries Unravelled by Postmortem Examination.- 16. Legal Implications of Adverse Drug Reactions.- 17. Chest Trauma: Differing Medical and Legal Perspectives.- A Surgical Perspective.- A Legal Perspective.- 18. Assessing and Presenting the Medical Evidence in a Case of Occupational Lung Disease.- 19. Impairment Evaluation for Disability Determination.- 20. The Asbestos Connection: The Differing Perspectives of Medicine and the Law.- A Medical Perspective.- A Legal Perspective.- 21. Medical and Legal Issues in Lung Cancer.- Medical Perspectives.- Legal Perspectives.- 22. Brain Death and the Law.- 23. Withholding and Withdrawing Life Support.- Medical Aspects.- Legal Aspects.- 24. Airway Management and Mechanical Ventilation.- 25. Pulmonary Artery Catheterization and Its Problems.- Medical Aspects of Pulmonary Artery Catheterization.- Legal Aspects of the Swan-Ganz Catheter.- 26. Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation.- 27. Medicolegal Issues in Pulmonary Emboli.- Medical Aspects.- Legal Aspects.- 28. Legal Aspects of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection: Testing and Discrimination.- 29. Medical and Legal Aspects of Tuberculosis in Drug Addicts, Prisoners, and Patients with AIDS.- Medical Aspects.- Legal Aspects.- 30. Hypersensitivity Lung Disease and Challenge Testing.- 31. Asthma in the Emergency Room.- Medical Aspects.- Legal Aspects.- 32. Medical and Legal Questions in Occupational Airway Disorders.- Medical Questions.- Legal Questions.- 33. Legal Aspects of Respiratory Therapy.- 34. Legal Aspects of Lasers.- 35. The Psychological Effects of Medical Malpractice Litigation on the Physician.