The chances of dying while under general anesthesia are about 1. Dosage Errors
Those administering anesthesia sometimes are not familiar enough with the equipment they’re using, are inexperienced in administering anesthesia, or are simply rushing through the procedure. These mistakes can lead to incorrect dosages. It is not the patient’s responsibility to ask about adequate dosages, and medical personnel should always speak up if they are unsure about a dosage level.
2. Documentation Errors
Sometimes, medical staff fail to complete documentation of anesthesia administration. While this tends to be more of a problem when it comes to insurance and postoperative care, this can reflect the hospital’s potentiality for inefficacy.
3. Accidental Flushing of Drugs
A standard IV stopcock has dead space. This elevates the chance of transporting anesthetics and infection from residue in your veins during device flushing. This oversight is more common with children but occurs in adult patients as well.
4. Improper Control of IV Flow Rate
An overabundance of fluid from an IV during a procedure can cause an array of serious ailments in patients, including headaches and respiratory issues. If you are given too little fluid, your body will not be able to react to the anesthesia as it is supposed to. Health care providers need to be responsible for setting and monitoring accurate IV flow rates.
5. Failure to Communicate
One of the biggest anesthesia errors is also the most preventable. When health care professionals fail to inform patients of crucial pre-operative instructions (such as those regarding fasting before procedures), this can cause difficulties with anesthesia.
Your health care professionals are responsible for giving you proper dosages of anesthesia, monitoring you during the procedure, and communicating with you before and after your procedure. If you have been the victim of an anesthesia error and are looking for a medical malpractice attorney in Cleveland, please give Novak LLP a call. We are a dedicated Cleveland Medical Malpractice Attorney firm who is ready to take on your case.
