Anesthesia Injuries and Medical Malpractice
by
Bruce Fagel on Jan. 28, 2013
Accident & Injury Medical Malpractice Accident & Injury Personal Injury Accident & Injury Wrongful Death
Summary: Anesthesia malpractice during a surgical procedure is responsible for injuring or killing thousands of people each year.
Anesthesia is a vital part of most surgeries, helping patients avoid feeling pain that the surgical procedure would cause without the medication. Anesthesia is provided through an intravenous injection or breathing device. A simple mistake made by the doctor, anesthetist or anesthesiologist can lead to pain and suffering, serious brain damage, organ failure, even death for the patient.
Anesthesiologists and anesthetists not only provide pain relief for the patient, they also have control of the patient’s breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Anesthesiologists manage the pre-operative evaluation, consulting with the surgical team, and post-operative management of the patients as well.
Anesthesia is often provided by anesthetists who are nurses board certified in anesthesia and may work under the supervision of a physician, whereas anesthesiologists are doctor’s themselves, complete an accredited residency program in anesthesiology, have much greater training in anesthesiology, and are licensed to practice without the order of any other doctor.
Most people naturally are anxious and nervous when it comes to having a surgical procedure, while they are naturally nervous about the surgery itself, they fail to think about the dangers of the anesthesia. Sometimes during a surgical procedure, the administering of the anesthesia before or during the operation can be the most dangerous part of the operation. Severe anesthesia injuries even happen to people that come out of the surgery successfully only to run into a medical emergency in the post anesthesia care unit. Anesthesia mistakes can happen because the anesthetist is not properly trained, if there is poor communication between the medical team, an improper dosage of drugs is administered, an improper supply of oxygen, failure to properly interpret a patient’s chart, or to improperly screen the patient for bad reaction to the drugs such as the case may be if the patient has an allergic reaction.
People who are considering surgery should also understand the risks involved with having surgery done outside of a hospital environment such as having a surgical procedure in a doctor’s office or surgery center. In these types of environments, if a medical emergency occurs, the patient likely will not have access to hospital resources including trained OR nurses, critical care nurses, emergency room physicians, or emergency equipment. A patient may be kept waiting many agonizing minutes for an ambulance to arrive to transport him or her to the hospital. During these minutes, serious and permanent injuries can occur, including brain injury or death.
If you or a family member has been seriously injured or died as a result of an anesthesia error or other type of medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice lawsuit. Contact the Law Offices of Dr. Bruce G. Fagel & Associates right away for a free consultation at (800) 541-9376.
Visit us on Facebook and Twitter:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/birthinjury
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fagellaw
Anesthesiologists and anesthetists not only provide pain relief for the patient, they also have control of the patient’s breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Anesthesiologists manage the pre-operative evaluation, consulting with the surgical team, and post-operative management of the patients as well.
Anesthesia is often provided by anesthetists who are nurses board certified in anesthesia and may work under the supervision of a physician, whereas anesthesiologists are doctor’s themselves, complete an accredited residency program in anesthesiology, have much greater training in anesthesiology, and are licensed to practice without the order of any other doctor.
Most people naturally are anxious and nervous when it comes to having a surgical procedure, while they are naturally nervous about the surgery itself, they fail to think about the dangers of the anesthesia. Sometimes during a surgical procedure, the administering of the anesthesia before or during the operation can be the most dangerous part of the operation. Severe anesthesia injuries even happen to people that come out of the surgery successfully only to run into a medical emergency in the post anesthesia care unit. Anesthesia mistakes can happen because the anesthetist is not properly trained, if there is poor communication between the medical team, an improper dosage of drugs is administered, an improper supply of oxygen, failure to properly interpret a patient’s chart, or to improperly screen the patient for bad reaction to the drugs such as the case may be if the patient has an allergic reaction.
People who are considering surgery should also understand the risks involved with having surgery done outside of a hospital environment such as having a surgical procedure in a doctor’s office or surgery center. In these types of environments, if a medical emergency occurs, the patient likely will not have access to hospital resources including trained OR nurses, critical care nurses, emergency room physicians, or emergency equipment. A patient may be kept waiting many agonizing minutes for an ambulance to arrive to transport him or her to the hospital. During these minutes, serious and permanent injuries can occur, including brain injury or death.
If you or a family member has been seriously injured or died as a result of an anesthesia error or other type of medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice lawsuit. Contact the Law Offices of Dr. Bruce G. Fagel & Associates right away for a free consultation at (800) 541-9376.
Visit us on Facebook and Twitter:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/birthinjury
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fagellaw