Minimizing the trauma of surgery is only possible because of anesthesia. The surgical procedures that people require are so painful that they may go into a state of shock if they do not receive proper anesthesia. Rendering someone unconscious or providing local anesthetics to numb their body can make surgical procedures far safer and can increase the chances of success.
Unfortunately, anesthesia is also one of the biggest safety concerns during surgical procedures. Errors when administrating anesthesia could lead to tragic outcomes for a patient. Anesthesia errors are a leading cause of surgical mortality and adverse outcomes.
Why do anesthesia errors happen?
Anesthesiologists are subject to some of the most rigorous educational requirements of any medical professionals. In theory, an anesthesiologist who follows best practices can safely administer drugs to patients to facilitate surgery in the vast majority of cases. The sad reality is that anesthesiologists can make totally preventable mistakes.
One of the most common involves the failure to adequately analyze a patient’s allergies and family medical history. If immediate family members had adverse reactions to certain medications, that can be an indicator that specific types of anesthesia might not be the right choice for a particular patient. In some cases, anesthesiologists conduct tests prior to an operation to validate that a patient can tolerate specific medications.
The failure to check for contraindications could lead to a severe negative reaction to anesthetic drugs. Many other mistakes relate to the professional’s conduct during the operation, not the patient’s unique condition. Anesthesiologists sometimes mix up drugs and may administer the wrong medication. That may lead to a dangerous drug interaction or an allergic reaction.
Other times, dosage and timing errors are what cause poor outcomes. Administering too much of an anesthetic might lead to a patient passing away during the operation. Administering too little might result in wakefulness during the procedure. When anesthesiologists make mistakes, their patients may have a much longer road to recovery ahead of them. In the most extreme cases, the patients die.
Filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is often an appropriate reaction to the negligent errors of an anesthesiologist. Patients and family members who recognize that anesthesia mistakes are largely preventable can potentially demand justice after harmful errors occur in the operating room.