Anesthesia is one of the most dangerous parts of a surgical procedure. [1]Maybe that’s why it can take over 12 years to become a certified anesthesiologist. Even with tremendous training, current statistics indicate that 1 in every 200,000 to 300,000 patients die due to anesthesia complications.[2] Anesthesia errors can occur at any given time for numerous reasons. Many anesthesia mistakes are a result of medical negligence.
Here are 3 common reasons for anesthesia errors:
- Improper certification, experience, or training. If a technician does not have the correct training then you could wind up being their test subject. Often times the fast pace mentality of a hospital leads to many technicians learning in the field, which can lead to medical error.
- Bad communication. When a surgery is rushed, the staff ‘s communication may be affected. Poor communication can lead to the anesthesiologist or technician failure to consider all safety factors, including the patient’s history, age, weight, and type of surgery.
- Failure to read charts or notations. It is possible that a note containing your allergies is overlooked, or lost in translation by one of the medical professionals. The wrong anesthesia can lead to a patient experiencing a stroke or heart attack.
There are many complications that can occur as a result of medical error. If you or a loved one has suffered serious injury due to an anesthesia error contact Potter Burnett today.
[1] Source: https://patient.info/health/anaesthesia-death-or-brain-damage