Anesthesia is an essential tool in the operating room that allows a patient not to feel the pain that results from their surgeries. Despite the benefits of this loss of sensation, it is not without its risks. There are many forms of injuries that a patient can receive just from the anesthesia, even death.
As many as one out of every 2000 surgeries results in a wrongful death from anesthesia complications, and nearly half of them suffer some form of injury from it. The harms from anesthesia can take weeks or longer to recover from, or even stay with a victim for life.
Causes of anesthesia injuries
The anesthesiologist is the person who oversees the use of this delicate tool in the operating room. Any negligent, reckless, or uninformed behavior can cause serious harm to a surgery patient. There are several ways in which an injury like this can occur:
- Intubation failure
- Defective equipment
- Failure to accurately monitor the patient
- Overexposure to anesthesia
- Incorrect dosage
When anything goes wrong with the anesthesia, the patient is the victim. The consequences of these injuries can last a lifetime. In addition to wrongful death, a patient could also experience injuries like:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Spine injuries
- Brain damage
- Coma
- Asphyxiation
- Trachea injuries
- Psychological injuries
With so much that can go wrong, and so much at risk, anesthesia is not something to take lightly. Medical professionals need to be sure they are doing everything in their power to ensure the safety and the best possible outcome for their patients.
Recovering from these injuries
When hospitals fail their patients by not preventing an anesthesia injury, they may not offer the victim everything they need to recover. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can help a victim of an anesthesia injury fight for a settlement that fully reflects the cost of the injury.