Anesthesiologists and Anesthesia Errors
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:
Anesthesia Errors and Brain Damage
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?
When Do Anesthesia Side-Effects Become Anesthesia Errors?
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
Anesthesia Errors and Anesthesia Aspiration
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:
Anesthesia Errors and Unintended Intraoperative Awareness
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.
Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia is one of the fundamental components of any medical procedure. There is great risk involved when administering anesthesia, but it a risk that generally has to be taken in order for certain medical procedures to be conducted successfully, and so that you do not feel any pain throughout.
What Are Anesthesia Errors?
Anesthesia errors are a form of medical malpractice which is due to medical negligence. It occurs when an anesthesiologist, or another medical practitioner, fails to administer, or incorrectly administers, anesthesia during your medical procedure. These errors can result in injury, disability, and even death.
Anesthesia Errors in New York and Compensation
According to a Johns Hopkins University study, “never events”, or events that should never happen in surgery, occur at least 4,000 times each year in the United States.
New analysis shows that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the US, resulting in at least 250,000 deaths each year. This means that 10% of all deaths in the country are due to preventable medical errors. Anesthesia errors in New York, are one of these preventable medical mistakes.
An anesthesia error is a mistake that an anesthesiologist, doctor, or other medical professional makes during surgery. This error could be too little anesthesia, too much anesthesia or any other mistake that can be made due to lack of proper care.
