In 2015, Medscape wrote a medical malpractice report regarding the major reasons why anesthesiologists get sued. Unfortunately, anesthesia errors are a common feature in medical malpractice, and they can also be the most deadly. In fact, most anesthesiologists will face a lawsuit during their career.
When asked what the nature of their medical malpractice lawsuits entailed, anesthesiologists revealed that they occurred for the following reasons:
Any medical procedure that you undergo is likely to be conducted with the use of anesthesia. The type of anesthesia that is administered depends on the severity of your medical procedure, and most anesthesia errors tend to happen with general anesthesia and occasionally regional anesthesia.
What are the Types of Anesthesia?
The purpose of anesthesia is to ensure that you are comfortable and pain-free during any medical procedure or surgery. There are 4 different types of anesthesia that are used for specific procedures, and the type of anesthesia you receive is entirely dependent on the procedure you are having done as well as your general health and possibly your own preferences.
Types of Anesthesia
Local Anesthesia
Local anesthesia is used for minor, common procedures in which you are fully alert and awake. The anesthesia only numbs the small area of the procedure - such as when you receive stitches
Read more: When Do Anesthesia Side-Effects Become Anesthesia Errors?
Anesthesia is used for most medical procedures as a method of pain management. There are different types of anesthesia which are used for different medical procedures. This is dependent on the type of surgery and where on the body the surgery is taking place. The type of anesthesia used for major surgeries is called general anesthesia.
Risks of General Anesthesia
Due to the nature of major surgery and the medications involved, there are several risks associated with the use of general anesthesia which your doctor should discuss with you. Some major risks associated with general anesthesia include:
Of all the medications used in the healthcare industry, anesthesia is one of the most frequently used and one of the most important. Just about every medical procedure necessitates the use of anesthesia - whether local or general - and unfortunately, due to its complexity, errors can occur.
What is Anesthesia?
In short, anesthesia is a medical treatment that is used to prevent patients from feeling pain during the surgery and other medical procedures.
Read more: Anesthesia Errors and Unintended Intraoperative Awareness
© 2014-2020 Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff, LLP. 122 E. 42nd Street, Suite 3800, New York, NY 10168
All Rights Reserved. Designed and maintained by Internet E-Business, LLC.
All images and logos are copyrighted to their respective owners.
