Anesthesia Errors Can Be Fatal—Here’s What You Should Know
When patients prepare for surgery, they tend to focus on the procedure and subsequent recovery rather than the anesthesia. While these factors are important, many patients forget they will also be undergoing anesthesia. They neglect to ask which drug(s) they will receive, or whether there are any potential dangers or side effects. Yet, for some people, undergoing anesthesia can be riskier than the surgery itself. Here are the most common anesthesia errors to be aware of before you or a loved one heads into surgery.
Common Anesthesia Errors
The majority of patients have no problems with anesthesia. However, occasionally doctors or technicians make mistakes. Unfortunately, even a minor anesthesia error can cause serious harm, including permanent brain damage and death.
Here are some of the most common errors a medical practitioner can make when administering anesthesia:
- Incorrectly inserting and placing the endotracheal tube
- Failing to take a complete medical history prior to surgery
- Failing to provide sufficient monitoring before, during and immediately after surgery
- Failing to completely read the patient’s chart before deciding on anesthesia protocol
- Failing to put pertinent information in the surgical chart and conveying it to the anesthesiologist
- Failing to consider potential interactions between the anesthesia drugs and the patient’s medications
- Failing to note drug allergies
- Administering a higher dose of anesthetic than the patient can tolerate
- Administering the wrong type of anesthetic
- Improperly controlling the IV flow rate
- Neglecting to confirm whether the patient has followed pre-surgical instructions regarding food and liquids
Anesthesia Errors Have Serious Consequences
When a doctor or technician makes a mistake at any point in the anesthesia process, significant harm can result. Patients can experience a variety of negative consequences, including:
- Shock
- Nerve damage
- Organ damage
- Cardiac arrest or stroke
- Tracheal damage
- Malignant hyperthermia, a severe reaction to certain drugs that can be fatal if not recognized and treated promptly
- Oxygen deprivation due to improper intubation
- Prolonged sedation or coma caused by too much anesthetic
- Emotional trauma caused by anesthesia awareness, where a patient experiences pain but is unable to communicate with the medical team
Who is at Risk?
Some patients are more likely to experience complications from anesthesia than others. Examples are elderly or otherwise frail individuals, those undergoing long procedures or people with complex medical issues.
Patients with the following conditions may also have a higher risk of anesthesia complications:
- Diabetes
- Drug allergies
- Heavy alcohol use
- High blood pressure
- History of adverse reactions to anesthesia
- Heart, lung or kidney issues
- Medications that can increase bleeding, such as aspirin or certain blood thinners
- Obesity
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Seizures
- Smoking
However, any patient, no matter how healthy, can fall victim to a medical mistake.
If this happens, it’s important to contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. Proving negligence is a lengthy and complex process that requires a thorough knowledge of the malpractice law. Therefore, hiring a qualified lawyer is the best way to obtain the compensation you and your family deserve.
Medical malpractice law is complicated, but finding the right lawyer is simple.
Call 1-800-MALPRACTICE today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
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