Anesthesia Error Lawyers in Philadelphia

Anesthesia has long been a part of many major medical processes, and one patients tend to assume is safe. The ability to control a patient’s mental status and ability to feel pain was a major breakthrough that allowed surgeons to develop a multitude of treatments for common ailments. However, even after decades in use, anesthesia is not a perfected practice. From patient factors to doctor error, being put under can still cause harm.

All drugs have the potential to interact with the human body in unexpected and unpredictable ways, but you should be aware that certain anesthesia-related injuries only happen when your care team makes an error. If you have been the victim in such an occasion, call our attorneys today to learn about your right to file for compensation. Mistakes by an anesthesiologist can have serious and long-lasting effects on your health. We want to help you make a claim for compensation.

Call The Beasley Firm at (215) 866-2424 to schedule a free consultation with our attorneys if you were injured by an anesthesia error. We’ve been helping injury victims in Philadelphia for over 6o years.

Why Anesthesia Errors Happen

Anesthesia is widely used in the U.S., as part of nearly 40 million procedures each year. Though common, it is complex enough that it is administered and overseen by specialists. Even highly trained anesthesiologists can make mistakes during procedures. Common reasons include:

• Lack of experience
• Split attention/loss of attention
• Poor drug labeling/identification skills
• High-stress situations

Though it’s not necessary to identify why a medical professional has made a mistake in order to bring a case, it can be helpful for patients and their families to understand the reason they are facing unexpected and preventable injury. This is one of the questions a legal process can help you answer.

Types of Anesthesia Errors

Anesthesia mistakes are especially serious because of the way these drugs affect patients. Not only can they be highly dangerous when mismanaged, but patients who have been drugged have no way of verbalizing dangerous symptoms they may be experiencing. An anesthesiologist is therefore 100% responsible for monitoring and protecting a patient’s health until the drugs have completely worn off.

This also means the anesthesiologist is responsible for a number of details, and neglect of any one could cause serious patient illness. Mistakes that may lead to a claim against an anesthesiologist include:

• Failure to thoroughly analyze a patient’s medical history for possible contraindications
• Lapse in advising a patient on necessary pre-operation measures (like not eating)
• Failed intubation
• Use of defective equipment
• Neglecting vital signs
• Dosage errors

No matter the type of mistake your anesthesiologist made—or even if you don’t know much beyond the fact that there was an error—you deserve answers and justice. Our attorneys are here to help you explore your options after being the victim of treatment mistakes.

Hazards of Anesthesia Mismanagement

While serious errors that harm patient health are thankfully rare, mistakes by anesthesiologists could result in the following mishaps and injuries.

Intraoperative Hypothermia

Anesthesia impacts the body’s thermoregulation systems, meaning if heat loss is not carefully monitored and counteracted when necessary, patients may enter a hypothermic state. This can lead to effects including slower healing and increased rates of infection.

Cardiovascular Events

Especially for patients already at risk of heart disease, anesthesiologists must proceed with caution. Anesthesia is known to affect blood pressure, the heart’s rhythms, and other baseline functions of the cardiovascular system. These changes could induce heart failure if not properly managed.

Nerve Injury

The injection of anesthesia can either cause direct physical damage to the spinal cord and other nerves, or it can be the cause of toxicity. Severe nerve injury can cause brain damage and even death.

Intraoperative Awareness

If the anesthesia dose is not sufficient, a patient may be partially awake during a procedure, and sometimes might even experience pain. Suffering intraoperative awareness can cause mental distress similar to that seen in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients.

Respiratory Events

Often caused by intubation difficulties, when a patient does not receive the oxygen they need, they are at serious risk of adverse events. In worst-case scenarios, patients can face brain damage or suffer a fatality.

Operating Room Fires

Though thankfully incredibly rare, electro-cauterization can ignite a patient’s oxygen supply. If a care team does not immediately respond, fires can cause lasting disability or death.

Opiate-Induced Respiratory Depression

One of the dangers of opiates is their depressive nature, which can slow or even stop a patient’s breathing. If an anesthesiologist does not confer with other treating doctors regarding patient risk factors and the use of opiates elsewhere in their care, a patient may face overdose.

We Can Help Injured Patients and Their Families

We rely on doctors to know about and protect us from the possible complications of medical procedures whenever possible. Especially for those dealing with serious medical conditions, a doctor’s vigilance is essential. Mistakes or oversights can lead to serious complications or even loss of life. It’s unacceptable for either of these things to happen—and when they do, those who have been affected should know they have the right to make a medical malpractice claim.

Our experienced attorney team at The Beasley Firm is here to help if you have been injured after a mistake by your anesthesiologist. Medical claims can quickly become complex, so you want to make sure the firm you’re working with is prepared to handle your case. Our lawyers partner with knowledgeable doctors and nurses to make sure we understand the nuances of your case. We also have the experience necessary to break down medical matters so judges and juries can easily understand a claim.

We do everything we can to help our clients recover compensation for the injuries and hardships caused by medical malpractice. If you are looking for support, or just want to know about how rights and what we can do for you, we invite you to reach out to our team.

Call us at (215) 866-2424 for a free, no-obligation consultation. We’ve been serving Philadelphia for over 60 years.