Fayetteville, AR Anesthesia Mistake Injury + Death Attorney
Every surgical procedure that a person has should be taken seriously, especially when anesthesia is involved. While anesthesiologists are trained to administer anesthesia to a patient, this does not mean that they are infallible and will never make a mistake. Several people in Arkansas and across the United States have suffered serious injuries or even died due to the misuse of anesthesia. If you or a family member suffered a serious injury after receiving anesthesia, contact an experienced Fayetteville anesthesia injury lawyer.
The Kieklak Law Firm is dedicated to providing you with the legal representation that you need to hold a negligent medical practitioner accountable for their actions. You do not have to fight your medical malpractice case alone. To schedule a free legal consultation, contact the Kieklak Law Firm at (479) 316-0438, or contact us online.
Common Causes of Anesthesia Injuries and Death
A number of different factors can cause anesthesia injuries. If your anesthesiologist failed to administer anesthesia properly, this could leave you with long-term or even permanent injuries. Fortunately, an anesthesiologist or the hospital they work for can be held liable for negligently utilizing anesthesia.
There are three types of anesthesia that can be administered to a patient: general anesthesia, local anesthesia, and regional anesthesia. Each type of anesthesia can be administered differently. For example, local anesthesia is administered by applying the substance to the patient’s body.
Understanding what type of anesthesia you received is important when determining whether your injuries can be attributed to the negligence of the anesthesiologist. The following is a list of common causes of anesthesia injuries.
Incorrect Dosage
Anesthesia is used to put a patient to sleep or to numb an area of the patient’s body to carry out an operation. The type of surgery you are undergoing will determine the type of anesthesia that you need. For example, if you are having surgery to remove your appendix, you must receive general anesthesia that will render you completely unconscious.
Ensuring that the patient receives the proper dosage is important when undergoing surgery. If a patient receives a small amount of anesthesia and awakes partly through a surgical procedure, this can cause the patient extreme pain. Alternatively, if a patient receives too much anesthesia, they can experience various symptoms like seizures, dementia, prolonged unconsciousness, and even brain damage.
Failure to Monitor Anesthesia
When administering anesthesia, the medical team must monitor the patient to ensure that they do not have an adverse reaction to the anesthesia. If a patient is experiencing dangerous side effects to anesthesia and the medical staff does not notice, they can be held liable for their negligent actions.
Failure to Move the Patient
When a patient receives anesthesia and is unconscious for a long period of time, they will be placed in a certain position by the surgeon in charge of their operation. The position that the patient is placed into is usually to ensure that their extremities are not obstructing the surgeon’s view to areas of their body during the operation.
Some operations could take multiple hours. This means that the patient must be moved to ensure that they do not remain in the same position until the surgery is complete. If a patient is not occasionally moved, they can suffer a serious injury. For example, if a patient is placed in a T-pose during surgery, and the doctor fails to move the patient, they can suffer a severe injury to their back.
Improper Patient Intubation
When a patient receives anesthesia, they will require intubation to ensure that they are receiving a sufficient amount of oxygen while they are unconscious. One issue that may occur when intubating a patient is that the doctor fails to properly insert the tubing, causing the patient’s airways to become inflamed. When this happens, the patient will not receive the oxygen they need, which can result in brain damage or death.
Another possible issue is that the medical team fails to ensure that the tubing has reached the trachea of the patient. This will also make it difficult for the patient to receive oxygen while unconscious.
There are many other injuries that can be caused by the improper use of anesthesia. Our firm can help you gather evidence to determine whether your doctor or hospital can be held liable for your injuries.
Fayetteville Anesthesia Malpractice Lawyers You Can Trust
If your family member passed away due to complications with anesthesia, contact an experienced Fayetteville medical malpractice lawyer today. Injury lawyer Ken Kieklak possesses over 20 years of legal experience litigating a wide range of cases, and he is prepared to represent you in your malpractice claim. To schedule a free legal consultation, contact the Kieklak Law Firm at (479) 316-0438.