You may join other Georgia residents when thinking about surgical errors. Most people think about removing the wrong organ, operating on the wrong body part or objects left inside patients when considering the things that can go wrong with surgery.
These aren’t the only dangers associated with surgery, however. One potentially dangerous area for patients when undergoing a surgical procedure is anesthesia. Failure to keep the delicate balance required to make sure that a person doesn’t suffer injuries or death from anesthesia happens more often than anyone would like to admit.
The most common anesthesia errors
Whether you are undergoing an outpatient procedure or will need to remain in the hospital afterward, you receive anesthesia. You may come through your operation with no adverse effects, but you need to know that mistakes can happen. The following are the most common errors committed:
- If your anesthesiologist does not have sufficient experience, is in a hurry or not paying attention or isn’t familiar with the device or equipment used, you could be given too much of a medication. It was also found that a large number of medication errors occur during the middle of a procedure after the initial dose or doses.
- The intravenous administration of anesthesia during your procedure requires proper setting and monitoring. It doesn’t take much to imagine the horrific things that can happen depending on whether a patient receives too much or too little medication.
- Your anesthesiologist may inadvertently deliver residual anesthesia or allow bacteria to enter your veins at the end of the procedure when flushing the system.
- The timing of giving you any pain-related medication after your surgery is crucial. If not administered properly, you could suffer from chronic regional pain syndrome, nausea, infections and vomiting.
The common thread that runs through each of these errors is attention to detail. An anesthesiologist must remain vigilant, keep the timing right and monitor you for changes that could put your safety in jeopardy.
The possibility of legal action
If you discover your anesthesiologist made a mistake that caused you injuries that could be debilitating or permanent, you have legal options. You have the right to explore the possibility of filing a medical malpractice claim against the anesthesiologist you believe made a mistake. Medical professionals should be held to high standards when it comes to patient care. Any deviation from the accepted standards is dangerous.
Medical professionals literally hold people’s lives in their hands. Negligence and mistake ruin patients’ lives. If you are among those who fall victim to an anesthesiologist’s negligence or mistake, you may need help pursuing the compensation you deserve.