The anesthesia personnel’s responsibility to the patient continues after the surgery has been concluded. Once the surgery is concluded, the patient is typically transferred to the Recovery Room or the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). While in the Recovery Room or the PACU, the anesthesia personnel is responsible for:

• Managing the patient’s emergence from anesthesia.
• Continuously evaluating the patient’s vital signs and oxygen level.
• Making certain that the patient’s post-operative pain level is manageable.
• Evaluating the patient for an intraoperative injury.
• Determining that the patient has regained consciousness and is stable for discharge.

Common Types Of Anesthesia Medical Malpractice 

Improper Dosing

• Administer too high of a dosage can result in delays in emergence from anesthesia, respiratory failure, and even death.
• Administering too low of a dosage or problems with the medication’s delivery can result in Anesthesia Awareness. This occurs when a patient, who is supposed to be unconscious for a surgical procedure, remains awake. Patients with Anesthesia Awareness can hear the surgery being performed and feel pain. However, because they are often given a paralytic medication, the patient is unable to communicate with the medical staff that they are awake. These patients often experience significant and permanent psychologic injuries.

Anesthesia Monitoring Mistakes

• In certain cases, the dosage of anesthesia administered was appropriate, but the anesthesia personnel failed to monitor the patient’s response to the anesthetic and respond accordingly. With general anesthesia and MAC sedation, the patient is especially vulnerable. This is because the patient’s airway is not protected despite being given potent medications to be maintained comfortable for the procedure. Because each patient responds differently to the medications used to perform MAC sedation, the anesthesia personnel has to be especially alert for changes in the patient’s physiologic response to the anesthesia, such as, decreased breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. If the anesthesia personnel is not vigilant in monitoring the patient’s response to anesthesia and reacting appropriately, a catastrophe can occur.

Patient Positioning

• It is essential that a patient be properly positioned for surgery. This is especially true for cases performed under general anesthesia or MAC sedation where the patient’s level of consciousness is significantly altered. When this occurs, the patient is unable to change positions or alert the OR staff as to pain. Consequently, the patient is at risk for nerve injury when these types of anesthesia are used. In addition, during lengthy surgical procedures, patient re-positioning is essential to prevent nerve injury.

Dangerously prolonged sedation

Failing to properly intubate a patient for general anesthesia

Post-Anesthesia Care

• Because healthcare providers can let down their guard after surgery has been completed, anesthesia-related mistakes often occur in the Recovery Room or PACU. It is essential that the post-operative patient’s vital signs be continuously monitored in the Recovery Room or PACU. As the patient emerges from anesthesia, breathing issues can arise due to the ongoing effect of the anesthesia. If the patient’s breathing slows unbeknownst to the anesthesia personnel, the patient is at risk to stop breathing, which can lead to a cardiopulmonary arrest, brain damage, and even death. In such cases, consulting an anesthesia mistakes lawyer can help determine if negligence played a role in these outcomes.

There is no question that anesthesia, while generally safe and predictable, nonetheless can be extremely dangerous. While injuries from anesthesia medical malpractice can have devastating consequences, they are a challenge to prove. If you or a loved one has sustained injury (or even worse) from a suspected anesthesia mistake, call us. We have the knowledge and the experience to determine whether you or a loved one’s injury was due to a preventable anesthesia mistake.