Anesthesia Is Dangerous

Added: (Fri Jan 29 2010)

Pressbox (Press Release) - It isn’t just the surgeon’s scalpel that people need to be wary of if they need surgery. Beware of the anesthesia.

While the safety of anesthesia has improved over the years, it is still something that needs to be administered with extreme caution and a high level of expertise. “The facts show that anesthesia medical malpractice has declined over the years, but there is still the rate of one death per approximately 200,000 surgeries,” indicted Robert Webb of Webb & D'Orazio in Marietta, Georgia.

The usual reason for problems with administering anesthesia have to do with the anesthesiologist choosing the wrong one that causes a patient harm. When that happens, it may qualify as a case of anesthesia malpractice.

“The most often used anesthetic is local anesthetic (a.k.a., a local), mostly used to numb a small, central area of your body. An example would be a dentist needing to freeze the jam to work on a tooth,” explained Webb. Application of a local may be done by injection, spray or cream which tends to last for up to two hours.

Regional anesthetic is also fairly common and is administered in cases such a childbirth to help the mother deal with the pain. It may also be used to numb a leg or arm. The last major category of anesthesia is the one that puts a person right out of it, otherwise known as “going under.” The patient loses consciousness and generally speaking will have no memory of the surgical procedure they endured.

“When dealing with a case of anesthesia malpractice the mistake or negligence is usually on the part of the anesthesiologist.
Unfortunately, any error in judgment missed by the anesthesiologist may result in several potentially harmful consequences, including an overdose, potential drug interactions, or failure to properly intubate the patient which results in improper oxygen flow,” said Webb.

There are other things that may go wrong during surgery, such as the failure to closely monitor the patient’s vital signs and oxygen levels, there may be defective equipment that causes a problem or the hospital staff may not have properly prepared the patient for surgery by instructing them about food and alcohol restrictions.

“While some of the mistakes are simple ones that anyone could overlook, the results of this kind of professional negligence may be life-altering due to sustaining serious injuries or causing death. An example would be that improper intubation may cause a lung to collapse as blood leaks into the airways,” Webb pointed out. Other consequences could include a heart attack, stroke, a pinched nerve in the elbow, brain damage, or adverse drug reactions after the surgery.

Many people think that anesthesia malpractice only happens in the operating room. This is not the case. It may also happen in pre-op prep, the recovery room or any other location where anesthesia was used.

Cases like this need a skilled personal injury attorney on board. They are complex cases and tend to take some time to resolve. “Speaking to an attorney will let people know what their rights are and how they may ultimately proceed to justice and to possibly receive compensation for long-term care, mental impairment, permanent disability, therapy, loss of wages and earning capacity, and medical bills,” added Robert Webb of Webb & D'Orazio in Marietta, Georgia.