Medical Malpractice And Anesthesia Errors

Anesthesia is the medicine used to keep a patient from feeling pain during a medical procedure. It is a necessary part of almost any surgery and even some dental treatments. It blocks nerve signals in the body and prevents your brain from processing or remembering pain. Unfortunately, sometimes mistakes and errors can happen with anesthesia, and when they do, they can be catastrophic. The medical malpractice lawyers at Barney & Karamanis, LLP, have been helping victims of medical negligence for more than 30 years and have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of medical malpractice victims. If you or someone you love has been injured by an anesthesia error, we can help.

Are Mistakes With Anesthesia Considered Medical Malpractice?

In order for a mistake with anesthesia to be considered medical malpractice, the injured patient has to prove that the medical professional or professionals behaved negligently or failed to meet the accepted standard of care. The injured patient also has to prove that the mistake or error caused the patient harm or injury.

What Are The Different Types Of Anesthesia Mistakes?

There are three different types of anesthesia: local, regional and general anesthesia. Local anesthesia numbs a specific part of the body and is used in less invasive procedures. Regional anesthesia, like a spinal block or an epidural, blocks a larger part of the body. General anesthesia renders a patient completely unconscious and is used for major surgery.

Mistakes with anesthesia can happen at any time during the process and can include:

• A failure to adequately explain to the patient what is going to happen
• A failure to thoroughly evaluate the patient’s medical history
• Providing the wrong kind of anesthesia to a patient
• Failing to monitor the patient’s oxygen properly
• Administering too much or too little anesthesia
• Allowing a patient to be sedated for too long
• Failing to recognize complications while the patient is under anesthesia
• Failing to monitor a patient who is under anesthesia

Anesthesia has to be administered by a special doctor, an anesthesiologist, but other medical staff such as nurses and technicians also assist during the administration of anesthesia and can also make mistakes.

What Complications And Medical Conditions Can Anesthesia Errors Cause?

Complications from anesthesia errors can range in severity. Some side effects are temporary while others can be permanent. These can include:

• Nausea, vomiting or confusion
• Respiratory or breathing issues
• Heart palpitations or failure
• Brain damage or a stroke
• Nerve injuries
• Death

Determining who is at fault and what went wrong during the anesthesia administration process can be complicated. The medical malpractice attorneys at Barney & Karamanis, LLP, have the experience, knowledge and resources to be able to hold the liable parties responsible for their anesthesia mistakes.

Are You A Victim Of An Error With Anesthesia? Call Today.

We offer free consultations and case evaluations. Call us today at 312-702-0872 or send an email through our online form to schedule yours. We want to help you recover damages from your anesthesia error.