Faulty application of Anesthesia

Faulty application of Anesthesia

Anesthesia not only blocks your feeling from any physical discomfort during a procedure or operation; you also cannot feel anything at all while under its effects. A lot depends on what kind of treatment sessions will require anesthesia and how much time they'll take place over-the-counter options might seem like the better choice in certain situations because there's no need for additional doctors' appointments before hand as opposed to other treatments which may require multiple visits beforehand. There are many different types of anesthesia that can be used to block pain during surgery or procedures. The most common type is given via an injection, but it isn't always the best option for everyone. 

Anesthesia seemed and thought by others as risky procedures yet it harmless and it is required for every surgery beforehand, but complications are present yet avoidable with proper applications and measures. Minor side effects include nausea and vomiting after surgery or while under anesthesia. More serious injuries that could lead to death are also possible if the anesthesiologist does not take time to think about all factors before administering drugs for induction into sedation; these are known as malpractice risks too because they were caused by negligence on behalf of the doctor performing this important medical service.  

There are three types of anesthesia that has completely different usage and effects and varies patient to patient condition: general, regional, and local anesthesia. General anesthesia is a procedure used to reduce the sensation of pain and anxiety associated with surgery. The patient will be sedated by either intravenous medications or gaseous substances, which may also include muscle paralysis that requires mechanical ventilation for control of breathing. While Regional anaesthesia is the preferred method of anesthesia for most surgeries. The drugs are administered directly in or around the spinal cord, blocking nerves and providing pain relief without interfering with breathing like general anaesthetic does and Local anesthesia is a method of administering drugs for pain relief, often used before minor or major surgery. It can be administered through skin injections and topical applications to numb one area on the body without affecting other areas.

Risk of Misapplied Anesthesia

The risk of misapplied anesthesia is something that should not be taken lightly. The staff on the surgery floor may have too many patients in one room and they could miss a critical sign for when an individual needs more sedation or doesn't need any at all, hence leading to their patient's discomfort and complicalities according to Patient

• Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction. It can occur to any anaesthetic agent and in all types of anesthesia, but the severity may vary depending on how much an individual has been exposed to before they react. Common symptoms include rash, skin irritation, bronchospasm (difficulty breathing) which often leads to hypotension (low blood pressure).
• Aspiration Pneumonitis is a reduced level of consciousness can lead to an unprotected airway and breathing. If the patient vomits they can aspirate the vomitus contents into their lungs.
• Peripheral nerve damage
• Post-dural puncture headaches are common after spinal anaesthesia, especially in young adults and during obstetric procedures. The headache results from a CSF leak at the site of the dura being penetrated by an instrument used for anesthesia.
• Hypotension is experienced by many women who undergo spinal anaesthesia for elective caesarean delivery have been given pharmacological prophylaxis that blocks the sympathetic nerves and as a result, nerves are blocked in certain areas of their body.
• Neurological deficits

 Anesthesia-related Medical Malpractice Statistics

The National Practitioner Data Bank found that 2.7% of medical malpractice claims made against physicians in the United States were anesthesia-related from 2005 to 2013, or about 2700 cases out of 98590 total.

• In the last nine years, there has been a decrease in the number of anesthesia-related medical malpractice claims filed to the NPDB. With this new data, patients are less likely than ever before that they will have an unfortunate experience with their doctor while under general anesthesia during surgery.

• According to a study published in the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management, the most frequently reported anesthesia-related injuries were: Teeth damage (20.8 %), Death (18.3 %), Nerve damage (13.5 %), Organ damage (12.7 %), Cardiopulmonary arrest (10.7 %).

• Anesthesia complications were the underlying cause of 10.9% (241) deaths in this study.

• The median anesthesia-related medical malpractice payment in the U.S. was $239,980 in 2012.