Anesthesia Errors Lawyers Fighting for Your Rights in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington D.C.
According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, over 40 million anesthetics are administered each year throughout the country–most safely and with no side effects. But sometimes errors and malpractice related to anesthesia errors do cause serious problems for patients.
Types of Anesthesia
Anesthesia takes on a variety of forms, and serves many purposes, though a general definition of anesthetics is the loss of sensation or consciousness. There are two main categories of anesthesia:
- Local anesthesia: Given to reduce or eliminate sensation in a particular area of the body.
- General anesthesia: Given to halt the muscular reflexes of the body, including breathing and swallowing.
Common Causes of Anesthesia Errors
Through technological advances, rates of medical errors caused by, or directly related to the use of, anesthesia have been reduced. However, anesthesia errors have not been eliminated entirely, and continue to cause death and disabling injuries.
Anesthesia complications can arise from:
- Administering inappropriate doses of anesthesia.
- Failure to properly review a patient’s medical history.
- Failure to provide patient with clear and direct instructions prior to their procedure.
- Failure to properly monitor a patient prior to and during anesthesia.
- Failure to monitor a patient’s vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure and respirations.
- Improper catheter placement.
- Improper intubation and airway management during general anesthesia.
- Faulty equipment, including vital sign monitors.
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries due to anesthesia errors, your doctor or anesthesiologist may be liable for any resulting damages, and you should contact our attorneys immediately to discuss your legal rights.
