Anesthesia Malpractice

Anesthesia is an important tool in many lifesaving and important surgical procedures. Anesthesia is administered in most surgeries today whether the procedure is performed in a hospital, an ambulatory surgery center or a doctor’s office. Anesthesiologists are carefully trained to administer medication safely and monitor a patient’s vital signs and level of consciousness during surgery. Anesthetics are administered an estimated 40 million times each year, and anesthesiologists participate 90 percent of the time. Any mistake in dosage or type of anesthesia can have serious consequences.

Anesthesia mistakes can create several dangerous complications, including:

• An excessive dose of local anesthesia can affect the patient’s heartbeat, breathing, and other bodily functions;
• Regional anesthesia can cause nerve damage if injected too close to a nerve or spinal cord;
• General anesthesia can cause heart attacks or stroke if improperly administered;
• General anesthesia can also cause problems when the patient is intubated (when a tube is placed in the throat to assist breathing) and the patient’s throat is numbed. An error here can cause the patient to inhale liquid into the lungs and suffocate;
• Patients with certain drug allergies or reactions to the medication used for anesthesia may have a life-threatening reaction during surgery;
• Patients who are taking certain drugs should not take them prior to receiving anesthesia because of the potential risk for drug interaction. If doctors do not forewarn the patient or use a different medication, deadly interactions can result.

Anesthesia mistakes can be made by anesthesiologists, nurses and other medical professionals involved in surgery. Many complications occur when the patient isn’t properly evaluated before or after the procedure. Some patients are more prone than others to have an adverse reaction to certain types of anesthesia, and if doctors fail to take a thorough medical history, the patient suffers serious injury.

Anesthesia error can have very serious consequences, including:

• Suffocation;
• Brain injury;
• Paralysis;
• Death;
• Coma;
• Heart attack;
• Stroke.

If anesthesia equipment fails during surgery, the health care provider is expected to fix it before it causes a crisis. When it isn’t fixed, the patient can experience an oxygen deficiency, reduced rate of breathing, or awareness and pain during surgery.

Doctors who take the time to perform comprehensive evaluations, take down all relevant medical history and pay close attention before, during, and after surgery can avoid many of the preventable injuries. Medical professionals who don’t take the time or who lack the skill to administer or monitor the effects of anesthesia may be liable for negligence.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by an anesthesia mistake, a medical malpractice attorney with experience in anesthesia malpractice claims can help evaluate the circumstances of your injury or illness and determine whether you have a case. Your lawyer should work with accredited medical experts to evaluate whether healthcare standards were met and provide you with qualified opinions on any long-term health issues.

For 27 years, the medical malpractice attorneys at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. have represented malpractice victims in legal claims across Illinois, including but not limited to Chicago, Lake County, Cook County, Aurora, Rockford, Naperville, Joliet, Springfield, North Peoria, Peoria, Elgin, Waukegan, DuPage County, Will County, Kane County, Winnebago County, McHenry County, Madison County, and St. Clair County.

Our staff includes both legal and medical professionals who understand the emotional, physical and financial turmoil that medical malpractice causes – and we remain committed to helping our clients rebuild their lives. If you have additional questions or need help with a medical malpractice case, please contact Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. for a free, no-obligation consultation at 877.420.1269. Please keep in mind that there are strict deadlines for filing medical malpractice actions. The statute of limitations may be running on your claim, so time is of the essence.