Medical decision making and risky choices: psychological and medicolegal consequences of HIV and HCV contamination of blood products

Abstract

Aims

The overall goal of this article is to make a scientific comment about the psycho-social consequences of hemophilia patients affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) and to point out the related medicolegal issues.

Methods

This commentary takes into account some published evidences about the current scenario of hemophilia patients infected by HIV and/or HCV who received contaminated blood products in the late 1970s through 1985.

Results

Several psychological and medicolegal consequences are related with HIV and HCV contamination of blood products. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to treat all the difficulties experienced by these patients and to ensure good clinical decisions in medical practice.

Conclusion

The literature on the psychosocial functioning of hemophilia patients with human HIV and HCV infection offers a number of implications, including medicolegal issues, that can be discussed for guaranteeing a good level of care and safeguard of this group of patients.

Keywords:

• hemophilia
• viral contaminated blood products
• monetary compensation
• medicolegal issues
• medical decision making

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.