Abramson, Brown & Dugan Attorneys

While anesthesia errors aren't a frequent occurrence, when they do happen they can cause significant and permanent injuries.  Anesthesia is commonly used in various surgical procedures.  A patient who is scheduled for surgery may not meet the anesthesiologist until minutes before surgery.  However, as a patient, you may want to meet with the doctor earlier and ask pertinent questions about the anesthesia as well as discuss your medical condition.

Proper anesthesia is crucial to a favorable surgical outcome.  Here are a few of the most common anesthesia errors that lead to injury:

1)Errors in anesthesia dosage-this usually occurrs when the dosage is mislabeled prior to the surgery.

2)Delayed anesthesia delivery- This kind of error may result from a vaporizer leakage, an IV error, or syringe issues.   

3)Intubation errors-a procedure doctors learn early in their training

4)Improper monitoring-close monitoring of a surgical patient's vital signs including respiration and blood pressure is crucial

5)Lack of communication-this can occur between medical staff or with the patient

Anesthesia can be a great medical benefit that allows doctors to perform surgeries and corrective procedures.  However, when anesthesia errors are committed, the consequences can be devastating.