We all make mistakes, but when an anesthesiologist makes one during surgery, it is never a fun experience for the patient. Errors made by anesthesiologists can have traumatic and devastating effects.
Many things can go wrong when anesthesia is administered and supervised by an anesthesiologist. After all, anesthesia is supposed to medically induce sedation or sleep to prevent a patient from feeling pain during surgery and waking up in the middle of operation.
But inducing sedation or sleep is only a small portion of an anesthesiologist’s job. An anesthesiologist is also supposed to monitor’s a patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, breathing patterns, and other health indicators during surgery to prevent complications and avoid surgical errors.
Unfortunately, not all anesthesiologists adhere to the highest standards of care when providing medical care, which results in anesthesia errors and medical malpractice.
“One of the most traumatizing anesthesia errors is anesthesia awareness,” says our Philadelphia anesthesia malpractice attorney at The Weitz Firm, LLC. “In fact, statistics show that more than 200 Americans become victims of anesthesia awareness every day.”
Anesthesia awareness occurs when a patient who is supposed to be unconscious during surgery remains in a paralyzed state unable to move or say anything while enduring all the pain throughout the surgery as a result of a miscalculated dosage of anesthesia or some other error.
Besides human errors made by anesthesiologists during surgery, anesthesia malpractice can also occur as a result of defective anesthesia machines. That is, not to say, however, that anesthesiologists do not make mistakes when using anesthesia machines on their own.
One of the many defects in faulty anesthesia machines is defective tubes and hoses leaking intoxicating gases. And while your anesthesiologists may be responsible for miscalculating dosage of anesthesia, do not rule out the possibility of computer errors in automated calculations.
Since anesthesia machines – and other medical equipment, for that matter – are constantly evolving, many anesthesiologists and doctors fail to keep up with the advances and familiarize themselves with latest technology and functions. Not to mention that anesthesiologists and anesthesia technicians can also be held responsible for their failure to maintain, install, monitor, and set up anesthesia machines.
Usually, establishing fault for anesthesia errors requires the help of an experienced anesthesia malpractice attorney in Philadelphia or elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
If you think miscalculating the dosage of anesthesia and using defective anesthesia machines are the worst errors made by anesthesiologists, think again. There is a long list of medical errors made by anesthesiologists, and each of them is equally disturbing and shocking.
Our Philadelphia anesthesia malpractice attorney has outlined just a few of these errors:
Here is the most disturbing fact: the vast majority of all anesthesia errors are preventable. That is why you are most likely entitled to seek compensation by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Anesthesia malpractice is no joke. Speak about your particular case by contacting The Weitz Firm, LLC. Call our offices at 267-587-6240 to get a free consultation.
