The Good and the Bad of Anesthesia December 13, 2017.

Anesthesia, when properly administered, allows us to undergo a wide range of procedures that would otherwise be impossible if we had to feel pain during surgery. And, the vast majority of the time, the use of anesthesia does not result in major complications. However, mistakes can and do happen, and when they do, the results can be deadly.

Recently, the National Institute of Health analyzed an American Journal of Anesthesiologyreport that was published in April 2009 and studied 2,211 anesthesia-related deaths from 1995 to 2005. Several factors contributed to those anesthesia mistakes:

• insufficient or inaccurate medical history;
• poor monitoring of the equipment and/or the patient’s status during the procedure;
• inadequate training;
• equipment malfunction;
• failure to follow procedure;
• lack of communication among staff during the procedure; and
• inaccurate dosing or dispensing of medication.

Anesthesia mistakes can lead to low blood pressure or inadequate blood flow to major organs, including the brain. These errors are often catastrophic, resulting in heart attack, stroke, paralysis, brain damage, or death. If the patient survives, the emotional and monetary costs of long term care and loss of income can be devastating. In many cases, family members are left mourning the death of a loved one and struggling with the related emotional and financial impact.

If you suspect that an anesthesiologist made a mistake during your surgery, contact our medical malpractice attorneys for a free consultation. You may also download or request Chris Mellino‘s free, easy-to-read guide on how to file a claim in Ohio.