Anesthesia Complications and Mistakes

Sometimes, the most dangerous part of surgery isn't the procedure itself. Though many people fear surgery, they don't realize that sometimes it's the anesthesia used during the process that can be the most life-threatening part of the process. Truly, anesthesia complications and mistakes occur on a regular basis, a horrifying truth that most people do not realize until it affects them or someone close to them.

But why do anesthesia complications and mistakes occur? There are plenty of reasons. Here are three of the most common ones.

First, many times anesthesia mistakes are the result of poor communication between staff members. Whether due to fatigue, personality conflicts, or the rush to complete surgery, the technicians do not take into consideration all the factors that need to be considered when dealing with anesthesia. These may include age and weight of the patient, past reactions to anesthesia, and type of surgery. The second reason is because the technicians do not have the proper background to be administering anesthesia. Unfortunately, much learning happens "on the job" in hospitals and emergency rooms. Thus, you or someone you love could wind up being a helpless guinea pig.

Finally, some anesthesia complications and mistakes happen because charts are not read carefully. Though someone might have noted your allergies, someone else may not have looked at that notation. Therefore, you could be administered anesthesia that could cause you to have a heart attack or stroke.

While anesthesia injuries are most often thought of as occurring in the operating room, they can occur in a wide variety of settings, including the pre-operative and recovery rooms, any procedure room, during labor and delivery, during sedation for dental procedures, and during a wide variety of out-patient medical and pain management procedures in surgical clinics and doctor's offices. Obviously, hospitals and medical personnel do not want anesthesia mistakes to occur. But when they do happen, someone needs to be responsible for the errors.

Anesthesia malpractice claims account for a large number of medical malpractice cases in America. Anesthesia malpractice is the twelfth highest medical specialty when it comes to the percentage of physicians within the specialty who have paid claims in the United States. Claims arising from anesthesia mistakes are devastating, often resulting in permanent injury, profound brain damage or death. Demonstrating the negligence of the anesthesiologist or anesthesia staff is also among the most difficult since the plaintiff is often unconscious or sedated, and scant and unreliable records are often the only source of information.

If you or someone you care about has been the unfortunate victim of anesthesia complications or mistakes, we encourage you to contact our team of legal experts immediately. The longer you wait, the tougher it will be to obtain the monetary compensation you may be owed as a result of your pain and suffering.

Please contact our offices via telephone or email today. Once we receive your information, we'll set up a no-obligation interview for you with our physician trained paralegal who will discuss your anesthesia mistake. You deserve the best representation; therefore, it's imperative to contact a team of professionals like ours who have years of experience obtaining settlements on behalf of the victims of anesthesia mistakes. Don't delay - get in touch with us now.