8 Anesthesia Errors That Can Be Considered Medical Malpractice
What is an Anesthesia Error?
Anesthesia errors occur when a mistake is made prior to, during or after the patient is administered the drug. Here are the most common types of anesthesia errors:
- Delayed delivery of anesthesia
- Failure to monitor the patient’s vitals
- Dosage errors
- Faulty equipment
- Prolonged sedation
- Failure to respond to anesthesia complications
- Failure to intubate
- Failure to instruct the patient about what to do prior, during and after the surgery
It’s important to note that anesthesia procedures are inherently dangerous. Despite being used very often by medical professionals, it’s still risky. Anesthesia awareness, for example, is a major concern. Sometimes, anesthesia doesn’t work as it’s intended and the patient wakes up during surgery. The paralytic drug prevents the patient from informing doctors about their awareness, so the patient is seemingly trapped and awake until the drugs wear off. Sadly, this all-too-common occurrence can be emotionally scarring.
Common Causes of Anesthesia Errors
Why do anesthesia errors occur? They’re almost always caused by a medical professional’s negligence. Most often, the doctor, nurses or anesthesiologist fails to uphold the standard of care they owe to the patient, and their error results in an injury.
What type of legal recourse does an injured patient have? Get the details below.
Can I Pursue a Lawsuit After an Anesthesia-Related Injury?
If your doctor or anesthesiologist was negligent, then there’s a good chance you can pursue a medical malpractice claim against them. Anesthesia errors can have disastrous consequences for the patient. Losses may include physical injuries, medical bills, lost time from work and emotional suffering. These financial losses can be recovered in court.
Contact a Pittsburgh Medical Malpractice Attorney for a Consultation About Your Medical Error Case in Pennsylvania
Were you or a loved one injured due to medical malpractice in Pennsylvania? Then you need to talk to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible for guidance on how to proceed. The Pittsburgh medical error attorneys at Berger & Lagnese, LLC are prepared to assist you with your legal claim. We represent victims of negligent surgeons, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists throughout Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, Erie, Butler, Cranberry Township, Indiana. Call us today at (412) 471-4300 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a consultation. Our main office is located at 310 Grant Street, Suite 720, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.