Anesthesia Errors in Georgia Medical Negligence Cases
Anesthesia ensures patients receive comfortable care during surgery; however, anesthesia can be a risky option for many patients. While anesthesiologists are trained to administer anesthesia carefully while monitoring the patient’s throughout surgery, mistakes can happen. These errors, while never intentional, can have huge consequences, and in some cases, can result in the death of the patient.
Common Anesthesia Errors
Medical malpractice is a type of personal injury law that allows victims receiving improper medical care to get the compensation they deserve. Anesthesia malpractice is a specific subset of medical malpractice
can occur when an anesthesiologist or other health care professional acts negligently and results in an injury to a patient.
This can start with a failure to properly evaluate a patient or during operation. Some common anesthesia errors include:
- Failure to timely react to the patient’s oxygen levels during a procedure.
- Failure to properly administer oxygen during a procedure.
- Too little or too much anesthesia.
- Harmful drug interactions.
- Administering anesthesia to a patient who has allergy to anesthesia.
- Delayed anesthesia delivery; the patient may wake up early or needlessly feel pain while still in surgery.
- Failure to properly monitor a patient throughout the procedure.
- Failing to provide the patient with proper instructions and/or warnings prior to anesthesia.
Injuries Due to Anesthesia Malpractice
When an anesthesiologist or health care professional acts negligently, serious consequences can occur, such as comas, brain injuries and death can occur. Other injuries include heart attacks, stroke, brain injuries, birth defects, nerve damage, spinal cord injuries, and asphyxia.
Anesthesia Awareness
One of the most horrifying anesthesia accidents is the administration of too little anesthesia. When this happens, the patient can wake up during surgery and become aware of his or her surroundings. This could also lead to feeling pain during surgery.
During this awareness, the patient is paralyzed and cannot move or communicate, however, they may feel extreme pain and terror. Understandably, this can lead to long term psychological and emotional damage, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorders, sleep disorders, and panic and anxiety disorders.
Recovering from Anesthesia Injuries
While most anesthesia procedures go smoothly, in some cases medical malpractice can occur from a health professional’s negligence.
If you or a loved one have experienced an anesthesia injury, whether it is emotional or physical, it can be a difficult time. It’s important to contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to guide you through the process of taking legal action. You or a loved one may be entitled to compensation for rehabilitation, current and future medical bills, long-term disability, loss of enjoyment of life, current and future loss of wages, pain and suffering, and long-term care expenses.
Contact the Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Pope and Howard to Schedule a Consultation
If you are looking for an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia, contact the team at Pope and Howard. We have helped families achieve substantial financial recoveries for their injuries following medical negligence. Our team is committed to using our experience and knowledge to help those during this difficult time. Rest assured, we have your best interest at heart.
Contact our Atlanta law firm via our online contact form or by phone at 404-885-9999 to schedule your free medical malpractice case consultation.