Primarily, an anesthetic is administered before a surgical operation commences to reduce pain reception.
In most operations, once the anesthesia is introduced into the bloodstream (injected), the patient becomes unconscious. However, medical negligence usually results in anesthesia mistakes, which as we will find out, have dire repercussions on your health.
Any injuries sustained from anesthesia mistakes are eligible for monetary compensation.
To fully understand the scope of injuries one sustains from anesthesia mistakes, we will dive into the three main ways in which an anesthesia error occurs (types of anesthesia mistakes). We will also discuss the various injuries that result from each type of anesthesia error.
Anesthesia Mistakes Caused by Excess Doses
The most common anesthesia error occurs when a negligent medical practitioner administers excess anesthetic into the bloodstream. As such, the excess anesthetic keeps the patient unconscious longer than expected.
Medical negligence, such as disregard for the patient’s medical tests (which give details of the entire procedure), cause a lot of bodily injuries to the patient, as highlighted below;
- Nerve Damage
Some surgical procedures call for regional numbness, where anesthesia is administered directly on the sensory nerves of the particular region.
However, too much anesthesia translates to nerve failure, causing temporary or permanent sensory failure. In other severe cases, a nerve damage causes permanent paralysis.
Therefore, you should contact your medical malpractice lawyer Michigan and file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the negligent medical practitioner(s). The lawsuit will help you get a monetary compensation that will help you cover the costs of treatment, therapy, and rehabilitation.
- Brain Damage
Your brain needs a rich supply of oxygen (usually conveyed in the blood) for it to remain functional. In a case of excess anesthetic doses, the heart rate reduces significantly, causing oxygen deprivation inside the brain.
When the brain stays for long without oxygen, the brain cells start dying, causing brain damage.
- Stroke
Excess anesthetic greatly reduces your heart rate, causing insufficient blood circulation inside your brain. This blood insufficiency increases the chances of having blood clots.
Consequentially, Insufficient oxygen and blood flow will cause an ischemic stroke in the brain.
- Heart Attack
A heart attack usually occurs dues to infarctions to the heart muscles, which are caused by insufficient blood flow through the main arteries. Excess anesthetic primarily causes damages by decreasing blood flow, causing a slow death of organ cells.
As such, the reduced heart rate causes the heart to self-sabotage, causing a heart attack.
Anesthesia Mistakes Caused by Administering Low Doses
Insufficient doses of anesthetic are usually characterized by partial consciousness, which translate to unimaginable pain for the patient as they will be feeling every incision the medical practitioner is making.
A low dose of anesthesia usually causes the following damages:
- Excess Pain and Suffering
The pain of suffering an accidental deep cut is nothing compared to surgical incisions on your abdominal walls. A negligent medical practitioner will cause you great agony during a surgical procedure, which could lead to mental health issues such as PTSD.
Therefore, you should make a medical malpractice lawsuit and get compensated for the pain and suffering.
- Vulnerability
Low doses of anesthetic cause temporary paralysis and immobility that leave you unable to notify the medical practitioners of the pain you are experiencing.
The result is you ending up feeling helpless and vulnerable. Such situation is referred to as ‘clinical torture.’
Anesthesia Mistakes Caused by Administering the Wrong Anesthetic
The medical practitioner may administer the right doses of the wrong anesthetic drug. As such, you will sustain severe injuries that may even claim your life when unaddressed.
The effects of administering the wrong anesthetic include;
- Allergic Reactions
Failure to assess your medical history for underlying medical conditions such as allergic reactions to certain drugs puts you at risk of sustaining injuries when the wrong anesthetic is administered.
- Coma
The wrong anesthetic in your bloodstream will knock you out for a significant period, and in severe cases, knock you out completely (death).
As such, your family should sue for wrongful death, seeking both punitive and compensatory damages.
Conclusion
It is rare for mistakes to occur in the operating room due to medical negligence. However, when these mistakes happen, the price paid is very high. As such, you should talk to your medical malpractice lawyer and get legal counsel when you decide to file a lawsuit.
