Anesthesia is one of the marvels of modern medicine. However, mistakes made in administering anesthesia cause thousands of injuries each year and can result in death.
Types of Anesthesia
Anesthesia is commonly administered in operating rooms, surgical centers, dental offices, and other medical clinics. In general, you can receive three different types of anesthesia:
- Local anesthesia to numb a small area of the body, such as when a dentist numbs a tooth before filling a cavity.
- Regional anesthesia to numb a large area of the body to reduce sensation, such as an epidural during childbirth.
- General anesthesia to ease you into unconsciousness with a lack of sensation over the full body.
Types of Anesthesia Mistakes
Each type of anesthesia comes with certain risks. Some of the errors that occur with administering anesthesia include:
- Dosing the patient with too little or too much medication
- Improper intubation, which can cause oxygen deprivation and brain injury
- Forceful intubation, which can cause esophageal injuries
- Failure to respond to emergency situations when a patient destabilizes
- Misplacement of local or regional anesthesia, such as a misplaced epidural
- Improper monitoring of the patient condition
- Failure to have proper resuscitative equipment nearby
Results of Anesthesia Mistakes
The results of anesthesia mistakes can be severe. From tracheal damage to blindness to brain damage, the patient who expected to wake healthier than when they underwent the procedure can wake with life-altering injuries.
When you or your family member is injured due to anesthesia mistakes, you may be able to pursue a medical malpractice case to hold the responsible parties accountable for the injuries sustained. You should consult an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible after the injury has occurred in order to understand your rights to compensation.
Call Kline & Specter for Legal Representation
At Kline & Specter, PC, our attorneys are experienced litigators who have won millions of dollars for victims of medical malpractice in Pennsylvania. With five accomplished doctors, including one anesthesiologist, on our team of more than 40 attorneys, we have the medical knowledge and legal skill to fight for the justice your family deserves when you or a loved one have been injured due to anesthesia mistakes.
Some of the major victories our attorneys have won for our clients, include:
• $100 million for an infant who suffered severe brain damage because of doctors’ errors
• $49 million for a young man who suffered severe brain damaged because of hospital errors
• $42.9 million for a baby who suffered debilitating injuries during birth at a Philadelphia hospital
If you have suffered injuries or lost a loved one due to anesthesia errors, call Kline & Specter today at 800-243-1100 for a free case consultation with one of our experienced medical malpractice attorneys. We welcome clients throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware and across the United States. Where appropriate or required under local rules, we work along with local counsel.
