Anesthesia Errors in Medical Malpractice Cases

Anesthesia errors are often more dangerous than surgery errors; a small anesthesia mistake can result in permanent injury, brain damage or even death. Anesthesia errors become a type of medical malpractice when they occur due to a medical professional’s negligence or preventable mistake. In personal injury law, an anesthesia error claim may be filed when a patient has endured unnecessary harm as a result of errors in administering anesthesia. Anesthesia errors are not only committed by anesthesiologists; a doctor, nurse or other medical staff who administers anesthetic drugs to a patient could also commit an anesthesia error.

Anesthesia is used during medical procedures that require a patient to be still through a loss of skeletal muscle reflexes and/or relaxed through a loss of responsiveness. It is a temporary, medically-induced state that allows the patient to avoid experiencing or remembering the pain or distress that they would feel if they were conscious or receptive to sensation during the surgery. A patient may receive one or more different anesthetics, depending on the type of sedation required for the procedure. Anesthetic drugs are administered approximately 40 million times per year in the United States.

Types of anesthesia

• General anesthesia causes the patient to be rendered unconscious
• Spinal and epidural anesthesia can block pain from the lower half of the body and is administered through injection near the spinal cord
• Local anesthesia is used to numb a specific area in the body such as a tooth
• Regional anesthesia is used to numb larger areas of the body such as an entire neck or leg
• Dissociative anesthesia causes a “trance-like” state of consciousness

Anesthesia errors may cause a wide range of effects including:

• Tinnitus (a ringing noise in the ears)
• Blurred vision, confusion and dizziness
• Vein, artery and nerve damage
• Blood pressure complications
• Cardiovascular collapse
• Heart arrhythmia, abnormal pulse or other heart function issues
• Brain or organ damage
• Asphyxia or inadequate supply of oxygen
• Birth defects
• Serious spinal cord injury that could result in paralysis
• Malignant hyperthermia, which can result in high fever and muscle contractions
• Seizures and stroke
• Coma or death
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of anesthesia awareness. Anesthesia awareness occurs when an inadequate amount of anesthetic is administered but the patient is unable to communicate the need for a higher dosage.

Anesthesia error statistics

Research conducted by the American Society of Anesthesiologists into closed medical malpractice claims found that 45 percent of cases involved respiratory issues that resulted in brain damage and death of patients.

A Columbia University study that looked at the 2,211 anesthesia-related deaths that occurred between 1999 and 2005 found that the 300 average deaths per year broke down into these common causes:

• Anesthetics overdose (46.6 percent)
• Adverse effects of anesthetics during therapeutic use (42.5 percent)
• Complications during pregnancy or labor (3.6 percent)
• Other (7.3 percent)

Types of anesthesia errors related to surgeries that could be used in a medical malpractice claim

• Administering too much anesthesia
• Failing to monitor the patient’s vital signs for signs of distress
• Improper intubation (putting a tube in the trachea to assist with breathing)
• Using defective equipment
• Neglecting to read or ask questions about the patient’s medical history that could reveal complications
• Failing to inform the patient about the risks of not following pre-operation instructions

The Seattle personal injury attorneys at Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC have years of experience representing families harmed by medical malpractice, birth injuries and other personal injuries. We seek justice for patients who have been harmed by preventable medical errors including wrongful death, catastrophic injuries and traumatic brain injuries in Seattle and across Washington State. There are no fees or expenses to file a personal injury case as we only receive payment if we recover damages on your behalf. Do not delay; personal injury claims come with a statute of limitations, which means they must be filed within a certain time frame of the injury.

Call us now at (206) 752-4366 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with one of our compassionate, experienced Seattle injury lawyers. We are ready to fight for you.