Common Causes of Anesthesia Errors

Anesthesia is critical in preventing patients from feeling pain during various medical procedures. The pain relief benefits of anesthesia are phenomenal, but there are certain, often serious, risks in administering anesthesia. Anesthesia errors can have serious and even fatal consequences. If you were harmed due to an anesthesia error based on the negligence of one of your medical providers, you may be able to bring a medical malpractice claim against the doctor or medical facility.

What are the Common Causes of Anesthesia Errors?

Some of the most common causes of anesthesia errors include:

• The doctor was not paying close enough attention: The administration of anesthesia is a precise science that requires the complete focus of the doctor. The doctor must ensure that the medication is properly flowing. Additionally, the doctor must monitor the patient and make sure the patient is or is not exhibiting signs that he or she can feel what is going on. Patient awareness can cause extreme distress and trauma. The dosage amounts also must be monitored.

• The doctor may have been paying complete attention to what he or she was doing, but erred in something like deciding what type of anesthesia to use or how much anesthesia to give. Giving the wrong type of anesthesia can cause internal damage to organs and tissues. Additionally, improper dosage can lead to patient awareness. In the alternative, too big of a dose could lead to the person staying under longer than needed. Too much anesthesia can also harm the patient’s body and lead to damage in areas of the body that would require additional treatment.

• The doctor failed to follow standard protocols: Following standard protocols in the administration of anesthesia is critical to a doctor exercising the duty of care he or she owes to the patient. Failure to follow the hospital’s protocols, or deviating from good and accepted medical practice, can place the patient at risk for serious and oftentimes permanent injuries due to anesthesia errors.

Dedicated Medical Malpractice Attorneys

If you or a loved one have been the victim of an anesthesia error caused by negligence on the part of your medical providers, you may have needlessly suffered and incurred further injury. The dedicated medical malpractice attorneys at Scaffidi & Associates will lead the charge in your medical malpractice claim, seeking monetary compensation for your damages. Contact us today.

Posted in: Medical Malpractice