[The principle of precaution: its impact in medicine]

The principle of precaution first appeared about ten years ago as a new type of action and responsability in the environnemental domain. According to this priciple, immediate action must be taken to avoid serious environnemental consequences, without waiting for scientifically established proof of danger. Certain legalists are now recommending that this approach should be extended to the field of medicine. By recommending decisive action based on purely hypothetical risk, the principle of precaution goes well beyond classic preventive measures, which are introduced after identification and proof risk. This new approach is presented as an added safety precaution. Radical application of this concept could however lead to an irrational approach to health safety and constitute an obstacle to technical progress. Although the legal world has already adopted this new concept, it is important that the medical world contribute to evaluating this new standard.