3 Common Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia must be administered correctly, and the patients must be monitored to remain stable. When this fails to occur, the consequences can be devastating.
3 Common Anesthesia Errors Explained By Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Anesthesia is a broad term for drugs used during surgeries and invasive medical procedures to prevent patients from feeling pain through localized numbing or induced unconsciousness. This is a good thing. Patients can undergo invasive medical operations thanks to anesthesia without feeling pain or discomfort.
However, anesthesia is not without significant risk. You are essentially in a medically induced coma when you undergo general anesthesia. Accordingly, the drugs must be administered correctly, and the patients must be monitored carefully to ensure their condition stays stable. When this fails to occur, the consequences can be devastating. Common consequences of anesthesia mistakes include brain damage, stroke, cardiac arrest, and death.
Any of the three common anesthesia errors discussed below could be due to medical malpractice. If you or a loved one may have been a victim of medical negligence, call our experienced medical malpractice lawyers for help. Our compassionate and experienced staff will aggressively fight for the compensation you and your family deserve after being victims of medical malpractice. And remember, there is ZERO upfront cost— we only get paid if you recover compensation.
Anesthesia Dosage Errors
To undergo anesthesia, a patient must be given a dosage based on multiple factors. Much like other medication errors , failure to properly dose anesthesia can result in severe complications for a patient, such as waking up during surgery. Some possible causes for anesthesia dosage errors include:
- Failure to be familiar with the equipment and dosage device(s)
- Inadequate experience
- Carelessness or inattentiveness to the patient and process
Medical staff are encouraged and expected to speak up if they feel any of the above scenarios are possible during an operation.
Documentation Errors
One of the more common errors is a documentation error. Documentation errors include unclear descriptions of postoperative pain management or completing end-of-surgery documentation before the surgery fully concludes. Failing to properly document the surgeon’s prescribed post-operative pain management can result in a patient’s pain being mistreated or failing to diagnose a follow-up condition. As a result, these open up the possibility of malpractice. [For more information on the basics of a medical malpractice claim, click here ]
Operation of IV Mechanisms
Anesthesia is often administered via an IV. Correctly regulating anesthesia is crucial to the success of a surgery. Incorrect intravenous fluid administration or regulation can occur in a few possible ways:
- Too much fluid, or fluid overload, can result in high blood pressure, head pains, or anxiety
- Too little fluid can result in the proper anesthetic effect not occurring and leaving the patient in an undesirable state before surgery.
- Improper post-operative cleanup
Contact The Law Offices of Cardaro & Peek, LLC Today
Do you believe that you or your loved one has suffered as a result of medical malpractice or medical neglect? You need to talk to an experienced team of local lawyers today.
The lawyers at Cardaro & Peek, LLC have the experience and resources necessary to investigate and litigate all types of medical claims throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. Cardaro & Peek, LLC has medical personnel on staff and has access to nationally recognized, board-certified physicians and other experts, to assist in the investigation, analysis, and prosecution of all types of medical malpractice claims. If you or a loved one have experienced malpractice, give us a call at 410-752-6166. Please visit our website www.cardarolaw.com and follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn for more information.
The post 3 Common Anesthesia Errors appeared first on .
