Anesthesia is a chemical substance that induces temporary loss of awareness or sensation, i.e. it can turn off consciousness in a controlled and reversible manner. This astounding property of anesthesia is what makes it such an integral tool to the healthcare system. Millions of surgeries and similar invasive medical procedures are performed with the aid of this substance, which could otherwise not be executed. Medical science has evolved and advanced impressively within the last hundred years; today there are cures and vaccines for many life threating diseases, as well so many options to improve quality of life if you are old and/or disabled.

Medicine and hospital equipment has drastically improved to cut down potential risks to human life. Nonetheless, anesthesia errors are still relatively prevalent and create complications that sometimes lead to million dollar medical malpractice lawsuits. The wrong type, dose, and administration can be incredibly dangerous, which is why a certified anesthesiologist is required for injecting the substance into the subject’s body. Even after the drug has been administered, the patient’s vitals are monitored and he/she remains under supervision of qualified medical professionals.

Types of Anesthesia and Common Errors

There are three key types of medical anesthesia, namely General anesthesia, Regional anesthesia, and Local anesthesia. General anesthesia produces complete unconsciousness, i.e. our entire body enters a state of oblivion. With regional anesthesia, the numbness is limited to one side, the core, or specific area, such as the spinal cord. Local anesthesia is used to blunt a small part of the body; for instance the area around the eye when getting the lens replaced.

Common errors associated with anesthesia administration include getting the dose wrong, choosing the wrong type, and injecting it into the wrong part. As one may conclude, anesthesia errors are largely the result of negligence on behalf of the responsible healthcare staff. Therefore, when a patient suffers or dies because of an anesthesia error, he/she or the family can sue the respective anesthesiologist or facilitating hospital. Wrongful Death Attorney in Tulsa, OK, can help you seek justice for your loved one and win you the compensation you deserve.

If the at-fault doctor is an employee of a hospital, the hospital will automatically become liable. If the anesthesiologist is an independent contractor, or the hospital has little or no power over their actions, then you may sue them individually.

Causes and Consequences of Anesthesia Errors

The job of an anesthesiologist is to keep the patient alive and well during the operation, whilst ensuring that they are adequately sedated the entire period. If the anesthesia dose is too high, the body may go into shock, trigger a stroke, immerse into a coma, or expire. In case the dosage is too low, the patient may remain partially or fully conscious during a procedure; hence, he/she may experience intolerable pain, stress, and trauma. It is important to note that certain anesthesia errors have nothing to do with type, dose, or injection. Many complications occur due to ineffective monitoring of the patient after safely administering anesthesia.

At times, the operating doctors fail to consider underlying health issues, such as a heart disease, which can make anesthesia riskier. Anesthetized patients need to be provided a steady supply of oxygen, and their body position may need to be shifted from time to time to avoid putting pressure on a specific area. Negligence could even occur before the anesthesia is introduced into the patient’s system; for example, the doctor did not inform the patient how to prepare for an operation. In most cases, patients are supposed to fast for several hours before a surgery. Therefore, there are many factors to consider before determining fault and filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.