Even relatively minor surgeries will most often require anesthesia. These drugs keep a patient relaxed and comfortable so that they do not suffer uncontrollable pain.
The anesthesia also helps the surgeon and her team perform the surgery efficiently and correctly without having to worry about a patient’s sudden movements.
However, mistakes in administering anesthesia are too common. When they happen, the results are serious. Oftentimes, a patient will suffer a hypoxic brain injury because of an anesthesia error.
As is the case with traumatic brain injuries, a hypoxic brain injury can leave a victim with severe cognitive, emotional and physical problems that can require permanent and around-the-clock medical care.
Other injuries, including spinal cord injuries, are possible after an anesthesia error.
Administering anesthesia requires attentiveness and skill
An anesthesiologist and his support team have to be attentive to detail during the course of every surgery.
Common mishaps that happen because of carelessness include errors in administering oxygen or just not watching the patient closely enough to notice that the patient is responding poorly to anesthesia.
In other situations, the anesthesiologist may accidentally administer the wrong medication or in the incorrect amount. Oftentimes, this happens because medical staff are not careful to make sure important medical information gets communication.
Of course, sometimes anesthesiologists’ behavior is simply professionally unacceptable. Errors have been known to happen because the anesthesiologist is struggling with a drug or alcohol problem or because he chose to turn off built-in warning alarms on his equipment.
No matter why it happens, an anesthesia error can leave a patient severely injured and a family devastated. Victims and their families should evaluate their legal options carefully since they may be entitled to compensation.