When healthcare practitioners put their clients under anesthesia, they have to follow a delicate procedure. Any mistakes can result in placing the patient’s life in danger. When you experience a personal injury because your healthcare practitioner made a mistake while administering anesthesia, this can be considered a form of medical negligence. Doctors, nurses, aids, anesthesiologists, and anyone else that caused you harm during your surgical procedure can be held liable for your injuries.
After experiencing an anesthesia error, it is important to get a second opinion. Seek another doctor’s advice after providing them with your medical history and also reach out to an anesthesia errors lawyer. Your attorney will review your case and medical records to find out how you were harmed. They can also gather evidence on your behalf to prove that you are owed a settlement. Call Ogg, Murphy, & Perkosky in Pittsburgh today for a free consultation to learn how you can get compensated for your medical malpractice case.
Common Causes Of Anesthesia Errors
Anesthetic mistakes can cause fatalities because of a lack of expertise, disregard for patient procedures and rules, drug errors, and a lack of communication among anesthesia team members. The most common errors that can cause a medical malpractice claim include the following:
Delayed Anesthesia
When patients don’t receive anesthesia on time, it can lead to them suffering a great deal before it is finally administered. This error may result from vaporizer leaks, IV problems, syringe swapping issues, and other errors that occur at the beginning of the operation.
Prolonged Sedation
When a patient receives too much anesthesia for an extended time, this deeper sedation can result in long-term consequences. They can be at risk of damage to their vital organs, and can fall into a coma.
Lack Of Communication
When a team is not able to communicate, their efforts can become disorganized and even chaotic. Team misunderstandings prevent the cohesive medical care that is necessary for safe anesthesia administration practices.
Lack Of Knowledge
Healthcare professionals that have little to no experience are more likely to make mistakes. If a patient has a special condition and the person administering the anesthesia doesn’t understand how the patient might be impacted by anesthesia, this can result in a fatal injury.
Failure To Monitor Patients’ Vitals
While under anesthesia, patients can occasionally experience low blood oxygen levels and other dangerous conditions. It is the responsibility of the attending physician and their team members to continuously check the vital signs of sedated patients so that they can act quickly if a problem is detected.
Dosage Errors
The wrong dosage of anesthesia can result in a patient being overly sedated. This can result in brain damage, heart complications, difficulty breathing, and even a coma.
Failure To Respond To Anesthesia Complications
The medical team should be aware of any warning signs that something is going wrong. For example, not monitoring the patient’s vital signs for physical pain can result severe mental anguish for the patient. When they fail to react in time, this can put the patient in a life-threatening situation. As soon as there is an issue with the anesthesia, the doctor, nurses, assistants, and other certified team members need to make sure the condition is stabilized.
Failure To Intubate
While you’re unconscious, an intubation enables you to receive the appropriate levels of oxygen. Inadequate intubation can prevent you from breathing during surgery, which can result in brain damage and other complications. A doctor can also make an error when placing a tube in your airways and cause injuries.
Failure To Provide Instructions To Patients
Anesthesia can have very harmful consequences to people who do not fast properly or prepare their bodies for surgery. This lack of planning can happen when the doctor or medical staff member does not properly inform the patient. They should let the patient know whether they should fast before the procedure.
Improper Administration Of Oxygen
When you are overexposed to oxygen, it can cause erratic breathing and myocardial infarctions. Oxygen must be provided at the partial pressure that is needed for your body size and age.
Defective Equipment
Sometimes the medical devices malfunction and fail to recognize evident warning indicators. There are also times when there are leakages, defective tracheal intubation equipment, and other malfunctioning technology that can put a patient at risk.
Issues With Patients With Sleep Apnea
Patients with sleep apnea have an upper-airway obstruction that can make tracheal intubation difficult. This can cause post-operative respiratory depression and severe airway obstruction.
Common Anesthesia Error FAQs
You should consider getting compensated for your damages when you have been injured because of poorly delivered anesthesia. Common questions you can ask your Pittsburgh anesthesia error lawyer include the following:
Should I Consider Filing a Claim?
Depending on your circumstance, you could be eligible to obtain fair compensation. Your attorney has to prove that the doctor was negligent in some way by showing that they owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, the breach was the cause of your injury, and that you were harmed as a result.
Should I File A Lawsuit After An Anesthesia Error Injury?
If you are not at fault for your anesthesia error injury, then you are more likely to receive a settlement before going to court. You should work with a Pittsburgh anesthesia errors attorney to file a settlement claim, and if that doesn’t work, they’ll file a lawsuit on your behalf.
How Do I Pick The Right Lawyer To Help Me?
You must do your research to find attorneys who are experienced in anesthesia errors and have a proven track record of success. You should work with our reputable team that has successfully managed anesthesia error cases.
How Long Do I Have To File A Lawsuit for Anesthesia Errors?
In the state of Pennsylvania, you have a maximum of two years to file an anesthesia errors lawsuit or settlement claim for a civil case. The only way this changes is if a minor was injured or you discovered your malpractice injury belatedly.
Speak To A Dedicated Pittsburgh Anesthesia Errors Lawyer
Get the help you need from a team that cares about you. We can deliver results after an initial investigation of your anesthesia error injury. Your medical expenses, mental anguish, and other damages will be considered in your medical error claim. We work on a contingency fee basis for personal injury cases. Call Ogg, Murphy, & Perkosky today for a free consultation with a medical malpractice attorney.
Ogg, Murphy & Perkosky, P.C’s main office is located at 245 Fort Pitt Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, only about 8 minutes from Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, just over a mile away from The Andy Warhol Museum, and about 2 minutes away from the Point State Park. Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is only 12 minutes away. Gary Ogg, Mike Murphy, John Perkosky, David Houk, and Ben Gobel, the principal attorneys at Ogg, Murphy & Perkosky, P.C, are your trusted source for addressing personal injury, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation cases. With a proven history of expertise and success, Ogg, Murphy & Perkosky ensures your legal representation instills confidence in every aspect of your case. Call our Pittsburgh law firm today at (412) 471-8500 with further questions.