Victims of Anesthesia Medical Malpractice Should Call Our Lawyers for Help
Most people are familiar with or have personally had anesthesia for a procedure or surgery. Anesthesia is almost always necessary for a surgical procedure. The goal of anesthesia is to prevent the patient from experiencing any pain while also often keeping them from moving during the procedure and asleep. Thus, anesthesia is a cocktail of three potent drugs to paralysis your body (even involuntary movements), put you to sleep, and block your pain. The calculations of these three drugs and other factors such as co-morbidities, the type of surgery, length of surgery, and other important factors can all dictate how much or how little to give to a patient. Miscalculations could result in an overdose due to anesthesia medical malpractice and cause serious personal injuries or wrongful death of an innocent patient.
While most people have heard of surgeons making a mistake during surgery, people much less commonly think about how the administration of anesthesia can also be done incorrectly, leading to patient harm. Anesthesia error can be catastrophic, causing paralysis, brain damage, seizures, blindness, strokes, and even wrongful death. Victims injured due to anesthesia errors can seek compensation for any injuries sustained.
If you or a loved one suffered any type of injuries as a result of anesthesia medical malpractice, or if a loved one was wrongfully killed due to the mistake of an anesthesiologist, CRNA, anesthesia healthcare provider, anesthesia group, or any other type of medical provider offering anesthesia, contact an experienced anesthesia medical malpractice lawyer using our directory here Medical Malpractice Universe.
Types of Anesthesia
Different types of anesthesia are given for different kinds of procedures. If an error is made, any anesthesia type can harm a patient. Types of anesthesia include the following:
General anesthesia – General anesthesia is often the type that people think of when the word anesthesia is used. General anesthesia is used for major procedures, and it causes the patient to lose consciousness. This type of anesthesia requires intubation for respiratory support. Injuries due to errors with the administration of general anesthesia include intubation errors leading to difficulty breathing, brain damage, heart attack, damage to the throat or teeth, and many other potential injuries.
IV/Monitored Sedation – This type of anesthesia is used for more minor procedures that are minimally invasive. Examples of this type of anesthesia include colonoscopies, endoscopies, specific dental procedures, and related procedures.
Local Anesthesia – This type of anesthesia is used to numb a specific body area. It is often used for biopsies, receiving stitches, specific dental procedures, and removing certain skin lesions. The patient remains awake when this type of anesthesia is administered. Errors regarding local anesthesia include accidental administration into the bloodstream, causing an abnormal heart rate or blood pressure, or administering a local anesthetic in the wrong location, leading to the patient requiring an additional anesthetic or pain because the drug was not administered in the correct place.
Regional Anesthesia – Regional anesthesia is often used during childbirth and a c-section. Epidurals and spinal blocks are examples of regional anesthesia. These types numb a large part of the body while keeping the patient fully awake. Injury due to the improper administration of regional anesthesia includes nerve damage, high or low blood pressure, or even heart attacks.
What are the Different Types of Anesthesia Errors?
There are many different ways that an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist can make an anesthesia error, leading to patient harm. Examples of these errors include the following:
- Administering a type of anesthesia that the patient has a known allergy to
- Administering too much anesthesia (overdose)
- Administering not enough anesthesia (underdose)
- Administering the wrong type of anesthesia
- Failing to intubate or failing to properly intubate
- Injuries due to intubation
- Failure to properly monitor the patient’s vital signs and overall wellbeing during the surgery
- Failing to identify any drug interactions prior to the administration of anesthesia
- Failure to educate the patient of the possible risks involved in receiving that particular type of anesthesia
- Failure to notify the patient of any food or drink restrictions
- Failure to recognize an allergic reaction to the anesthesia
- Failing to properly administer the anesthesia
- Failing to identify and treat an anesthesia complication
- Leaving the anesthetized patient unattended
- Leaving a patient sedated for longer than is recommended
- Failing to provide appropriate discharge instructions (i.e. refrain from driving)
Injuries Due to Anesthesia Errors
Many injuries can occur as a result of an anesthesia error. Some may be minor and short-lived, while others can be long-lasting or even life-ending. Examples of these injuries include the following:
- Nerve damage
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Blood clots
- Anaphylaxis
- Intubation injuries
- Confusion or delirium
- Wrongful death
- Brain damage
- Seizures
- Severe pain due to underdosing
- Damage to the larynx
- Tooth damage
- Pneumonia
- Nausea and vomiting
- Post-operative pain
How Do These Errors Happen?
There are many ways in which an anesthesia error can happen. While generally speaking, no one intends to harm a patient while administering anesthesia; anesthesia errors happen. Common causes of anesthesia errors include the following:
- Inexperience
- Poor communication in the operating room
- Inadequate patient education
- Improperly administering oxygen
- Ignoring or turning off warning alarms on necessary equipment such as a vital signs machine
- Failure to follow the universal protocol, preventing the wrong administration of the anesthetic
- Failing to address reactions to anesthesia
- Doctor fatigue
- Miscalculations
- Rushing or not properly taking the time necessary to review a patient’s information
- Not taking a thorough patient history before starting an infusion, and
- Other types of serious errors that could be anesthesia medical malpractice.
If You Were Harmed by Anesthesia Medical Malpractice, Call Our Lawyers for Help
Anesthesia is a potent cocktail of drugs that are often used without issue. But when a healthcare provider fails to manage a patient and the anesthesia properly, it could result in very damaging injuries that could become life-threatening. If you or a loved one were seriously injured by anesthesia medical malpractice, please contact one of our expert medical malpractice attorneys here at Medical Malpractice Universe.