0000000000150163
AUTHOR
Claudio Buccelli
Legal liability in bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw
Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is an adverse reaction that may occur in patients administered with bisphosphonates (BP). This condition can cause high morbidity and hinder quality of life. Its treatment is complex and often unsatisfactory, and prevention strategies may have limited effectiveness, if any. Thus, managing patients treated with BP may result in exposure of the practitioner to legal liability or malpractice claims: legal actions pursuant to BRONJ are reported to be underway on three continents. Nonetheless, the attribution of liability, if any, is a complex process requiring, on the basis of current knowledge, a robust and pragmatic approach to the facts…
Adverse drug reactions in the oral cavity
Several drugs may have a number of adverse reactions (ADRs) involving the oro-facial region. The dose of the drug and the time required for the reaction to take place are relevant parameters; nonetheless, ADRs mechanisms are not always known and ADRs are not always predictable since aspects other than drug pharmacodynamics and/or pharmacokinetics, as well as various interacting variables contribute to the final outcome. All tissues and many functions of the oral cavity can be affected. In particular, salivary function is fre- quently involved and hypo-salivation is the main manifestation; several mucosal lesions with different morphology (ulcerations, vesiculo- bullous lesions, white lesion…