Anesthesiologists are responsible for ensuring patients remain safe and comfortable during surgery. However, anesthesiology errors occur more often than you might think. In fact, a recent study found that one in every fifteen surgeries results in an anesthesia error. Some common errors that occur in the administration of anesthesia are:
- Doctors administering too much anesthesia.
- Doctors administering too little anesthesia, resulting in anesthesia awareness (a patient being unable to speak or communicate but feeling pain).
- Doctors delaying the delivery of anesthesia.
- Doctors failing to prevent or recognize adverse drug reactions caused by interactions between anesthesia and certain medications.
- Doctors administering the wrong type of anesthesia.
- Doctors failing to determine if a patient is allergic to anesthesia or accidentally administering an anesthesia medication the patient is allergic to.
- Doctors failing to provide proper instructions to patients before administering anesthesia.
- Doctors failing to properly monitor the patient during a surgical procedure in which the patient is under anesthesia.
- Doctors failing to consider the effects patient positioning may have on the patient’s blood pressure, and the blood supply to the patient’s brain (for example, in “beach chair position”).
- Defective equipment or medical devices used during anesthesia.
If you or a loved one has been injured by an anesthesia error, contact SGT today for a free evaluation. Our attorneys have the experience and knowledge necessary to help you get help and compensation. We understand that this time may be difficult for you, and we are here to support you every step of the way.
