The use of anesthesia is necessary in many circumstances, but the prevalence of its use doesn’t diminish its risk. After all, anesthesiologists have to carefully consult a patient’s medical history and assess their condition to ensure that anesthesia is properly administered. They must also continuously monitor the patient so that the anesthesia being administered can be modified as needed.
These duties leave room for error, putting unsuspecting patients like you and your loved ones at risk of medical malpractice, serious injury, and death.
Common anesthesia errors
There are several ways in which an anesthesia error can occur. This includes:
- Providing a patient with the wrong dosage
- Administering anesthesia too late
- Failing to appropriately monitor the patient while anesthesia is being administered
- Keeping the patient under extensive anesthesia for too long
- Failing to respond to complications related to anesthesia in a timely fashion
- Using defective equipment
Any one of these errors could prove fatal. Those who are subjected to anesthesia errors can suffer cardiac arrest, oxygen deprivation, and stroke. Even those who are lucky enough to survive an anesthesia error can suffer brain damage and other lifelong injuries.
What should you do if you’ve been harmed by an anesthesia error?
You should gather as much evidence as you can and then think about filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Doing so may be the only way to recoup the compensation that you need to pay your medical bills and cover your lost wages. It might also be the only way to secure long-term financial stability and obtain a sense of justice.
With that in mind, if you or a loved one has been negatively impacted by an anesthesia error, then please continue to read our blog and our website as well as contemplate your next steps.