Why Do Anesthesia Errors Occur?

 Posted on June 07, 2023 in Medical Malpractice

Anesthesia is generally safe when administered correctly. However, when not properly managed, it can have severe consequences, long-term medical effects, and sometimes even be fatal. Anesthesia malpractice occurs when patient problems arise due to inaccurate doses of medication, incorrect assessments, and several other issues. If an incident of anesthesia malpractice has harmed you or a loved one, contact a medical malpractice lawyer today to get the help you need. 

Understanding Anesthesia Administration

Anesthesia administration requires distinct proficiency by medical practitioners, demanding extensive medical knowledge while also requiring practitioners to follow specific protocols to guide patient care. Moreover, anesthesia administration involves measuring and responding to changing vitals, including consciousness, pulse rates, and oxygen levels. Delegating this role to personnel who may not possess the licenses required to execute such high-level precision functions properly can lead to devastating anesthetic errors. 

Common Reasons Anesthesia Errors May Occur

Undermanaged care departments and a hospital environment characterized by healthcare facility budget-cutting caps are some contributors that have lead to cases of anesthesia errors. Other factors may include bad clinical judgment and inadequate or faulty equipment. A carefully selected medical malpractice attorney can help evaluate and decipher the best legal strategy to investigate the situation surrounding the anesthetic error. Medical malpractice cases involving anesthetic errors can be complex cases. As a result, attorneys with experience handling such cases can be very beneficial since hiring an attorney with little knowledge of medical malpractice cases of this type may hinder your ability to pursue a favorable case resolution.

Other Essential Considerations 

Proving an anesthesia medical malpractice claim requires sufficient documentation to ascertain whether the administered anesthetic care met or fell short of the standard of care. Medical malpractice attorneys may also hire anesthesiology specialists who can provide insight into determining if the anesthetic care was within the expected medical protocols and whether the administered treatment was correctly given while pinpointing any medical omissions that may have harmed the patient. 

Furthermore, anesthesiology specialists can help focus on reviewing overgeneralized insurance offers to ensure that the injured party can receive the full compensation to which they are entitled. While hiring an anesthesiology specialist is not required, such professionals, combined with a medical malpractice attorney, can help ensure that the compensation obtained is the maximum amount available. 

Contact a Chicago, Illinois, Medical Malpractice Lawyer

For experienced legal guidance, contact the esteemed Chicago, IL medical malpractice attorneys with Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC. Call 312-236-6324 for a free consultation. 

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6545954/#:~:text=Table%201%20%20%20%20Error%20%20,efforts%20result%20...%20%203%20more%20rows%20