Jacksonville Anesthesia Error Attorneys
Anesthesia is most commonly used during surgeries and dental work in order to induce a temporary state of pain prevention and relief, muscle relaxation, and unconsciousness in a patient. This temporary state allows doctors to carry out their treatment more easily and effectively, and it also allows patients to undergo treatment without pain.
In preparing for a medical procedure, an anesthesiologist determines the types of drugs and the appropriate dosage of each drug that he will use to anesthetize a patient. An anesthesiologist’s determinations depend on the type of procedure that will be performed and a number of other variables concerning the physical makeup of the patient.
While the introduction of anesthesia has allowed for more complicated surgical procedures to be carried out, it has added a lot of room for medical negligence to take place. Negligence on the part of anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists can result in short-term and long-term injuries to patients and can certainly result in the death of patients.
If you were injured as a result of anesthesia medical malpractice (also known as an anesthesia error), contact the lawyers at Abbott Law Group today to discuss your legal options.
Legal Liability for an Anesthesia Error
Prior to the development of anesthesia for use in surgeries, significant complications resulted from the physiological stress that patients endured during surgery and many deaths occurred as a result of shock during surgery. Anesthesia allows doctors to complete more complicated surgical procedures at less of a risk to patients’ health.
However, many important determinations and decisions must be made by anesthesiologists in order to keep patients safe, and oftentimes mistakes are made. These mistakes on the part of anesthesiologists can have disastrous consequences to patients.
The most common mistakes that anesthesiologists make include:
- Administering the wrong dosage of anesthesia to the patient;
- Picking the wrong type of anesthesia to administer;
- Improper intubation of the patient;
- Failing to properly monitor the patient;
- Failing to recognize complications as they develop in the patient;
- Using faulty equipment or failing to properly use the equipment; and
- Failing to give the patient the proper instructions on how to prepare for surgery.
If an anesthesiologist makes any of the mistakes listed above and an injury results to a patient, he or she may be held legally liable for the patient’s injury.
Types of Injuries that Result from Anesthesia Medical Malpractice
When a patient is anesthetized and an anesthesiologist provides treatment that is below the acceptable standards of the medical community, there is a huge risk of injury to the patient.
Some of the most common injuries and complications to patients that result from anesthesia error may include:
- Post-operative pain,
- Nausea and vomiting,
- Allergic reaction from the anesthesia,
- Blood clots,
- Nerve damage,
- Anesthesia awareness (gaining consciousness during surgery),
- Paralysis,
- Coma,
- Heart attack
- Death
While the less serious complications like nausea, vomiting, and post-operative pain are quite common, the more serious complications are comparatively rare. Nevertheless, according to a Columbia University study, over 300 deaths occur in the United States each year as a direct result or contributing factor of anesthesia medical malpractice.
Speak with our lawyers today if you have been injured due to an anesthesia error
If you have experienced an injury as a result of anesthesia medical malpractice or anesthesia error, you may be legally entitled to compensation for past and future medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. The lawyers at Abbott Law Group have over thirty years of experience in the areas of personal injury and medical malpractice and know what it takes to litigate an anesthesia error lawsuit. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.