Everything You need to Know about Anesthesia Errors in Medical Malpractice

The idea of surgery is scary as it is, but couple that with being put under anesthesia and that increases a person's stress immensely. A patient is putting their life in the hands of the anesthesia technician, nurse, or doctor who is administering general anesthesia. There is just a slight margin for anesthesia error where an anesthesiologist is concerned. Any mistakes might lead to something as serious as death or brain damage. Many of these cases go unreported and that is why the frequency of these anesthesia errors is difficult to determine.

The Important of an Anesthesiologist

An anesthesiologist who specializes in administering anesthesia to patients has to be thorough about this procedure. They have to be fully committed through every stage of a surgery, including while notes are begin taken about the medical history of a patient, while prepping the patient prior to the surgery, while the surgery is being conducted, and even through the recovery process.

If there is a lapse at any stage, it might have adverse effects on the patient's health and even their life. Anesthesia errors or medical malpractice may occur during surgery or childbirth, in an outpatient surgical center operating room, a hospital or a doctor's or dentist's office. It may occur prior to the surgery, during the surgery and also in the recovery room.

When Anesthesia Malpractice Occurs

Here are some of the most common anesthesia errors in medical malpractice:

• Not taking the complete medical history of the patient, including medication, and allergies
• Not instructing the patient about diet, and the administration of medication prior to the anesthesia and surgery
• Intubating the patient erroneously
• Administering too much or too little anesthesia
• Using the wrong type of anesthesia drug
• Delaying the administration of anesthesia
• Drug interactions
• Making use of defective equipment
• Not monitoring the patient closely
• Miscommunication among personnel in the operating room

The Problems that Occur

There are many complications that arise from anesthesia errors. Some might be as mild as a sore throat, while other could be as severe as anxiety, or even death. There is some research that has recently suggested that some anesthesia drugs may lead to dementia and progressive loss of cognitive function in older patients.

The Importance of Legal Representation in an Anesthesia Malpractice Case

If you or someone you know has been the victim of anesthesia medical malpractice, you need to contact a medical malpractice lawyer, who will first instruct you to collect all records related to the procedure. There are restrictive time limits about how long you have to file an action, so don't delay on hiring legal representation. It is difficult to prove medical negligence, but that is where the expertise of a qualified lawyer comes in. They will use their experience and the resources that are at their disposal to present a claim and arrive at a settlement for your medical malpractice case.