Problèmes médicolégaux des intoxications de l'adulte

The medicolegal problems related to the intoxications touch the daily practice in intensive care and emergency medicine. Physicians are often confronted with the problem of the refusal of care, in particular with the final phase of the stay in intensive care units: patients are not any more under the influence of the poisons and recovered their free will. On the medicolegal level, the doctor is out of balance between his obligation to carry help and the respect of the will of the patient, but it must bring an answer adapted to the needs for the patient. The information given to the patient takes here a paramount value, and a possible hospitalization under the constraint must be clearly justified. A toxic death must systematically lead to a declaration of suspect death, even if the suicide seems obvious. The prosecutor only has the role to declare that there was suicide, not the physician. If organ procurements are considered, it must be in agreement with the prosecutor, and be carried out according to a well standardized protocol. Lastly, the administrative director on duty at the hospital can represent an valuable help for the resolution of the medicolegal difficulties which can arise during the care of intoxications.