A case of surgical site infection with severe spondylitis caused by Streptococcus gordonii in an adult healthy woman: how to apply medico-legal method to deny malpractice hypothesis in suspected healthcare-associated infection.

We describe a rare case of severe primary spondylitis caused by Streptococcus gordonii in a 45-year-old immunocompetent woman with no relevant comorbidities. The surgical site infection arose after a L4-L5 microdiscectomy and resulted in severe clinical disability. Allegations of possible negligence as the cause prompted a forensic review to clarify the original source and transmission of this uncommon pathogen, which dismissed its cause as due to malpractice during treatment.

The "Criminal Shield": Criminal Liability for Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Sars-CoV-2 pandemic has had important economic, health, political, and jurisprudential implications all over the world. According to innovations already introduced by Law 24/2017, with Decree Law no. 44 of 1 April 2021 and the subsequent conversion law no. 71 of 2021, Italy is the only country in which ad hoc rules have been introduced to limit the professional liability of healthcare professionals during the health emergency. The "criminal shield" can be defined as the Legislator response to the extreme pressure on healthcare professionals during the pandemic.