Whenever a patient undergoes surgery, they can be at risk of receiving an anesthesia overdose if the anesthesiologist does not administer the correct dosage or at the correct injection rate. General anesthesia is used to put a patient to sleep while they are undergoing a surgical procedure. If the anesthesia is improperly administered, the patient can suffer irreversible harm or even death.
How Does Overdose Occur?
There are a variety of reasons how an anesthesia overdose can occur. Some of which include:
- The patient is given too much anesthesia
- The anesthesia was labeled improperly
- Not enough oxygen was administered during the procedure causing hypoxia which can lead to brain damage
- Injecting the patient too quickly
- Improper combination of anesthetics that are not compatible with one another
- Not monitoring the patient properly
- Anesthesiologist misreads the patient’s chart
- The anesthesia administered was contraindicated with another drug the patient was currently taking causing an adverse reaction
These types of errors can result in a variety of injuries that may leave a patient with a serious brain injury, nerve damage, paralysis, or a spinal cord injury when an epidural is not administered properly. The patient can suffer other serious complications such as a heart attack; stroke or they can sometimes result in death. Anaphylactic shock can occur if the patient is given an anesthesia they are allergic to. Even though this type of incident may be rare, it can also be fatal. It may be hard for the anesthesiologist to know which drugs were the cause of anaphylaxis because there are usually more than one type of drug given to a patient while undergoing general anesthesia.
The Symptoms of Overdose
There are a variety of symptoms and warning signs that indicate the patient has suffered an overdose of anesthesia. Many of these include:
- The patient exhibits slurred speech early in the anesthesia process
- An increase in heart rate occurs
- Elevated rate of breathing
- The patient fails to wake up after the drugs to reverse the effects of anesthesia are administered
Administering anesthesia to a patient requires skill and precision. It is a fact that not all anesthesiologists are as experienced or careful when performing their duties. A patient who undergoes a local anesthetic may show other symptoms, such as shivering, muscular twitching, anxiety or excitement. It is imperative that the patient’s chart be read thoroughly. Any pre-existing medical condition can cause the patient to experience a severe reaction to the anesthesia.
Malpractice Lawsuit: Against the Hospital or Doctor?
Determining liability for a case of anesthesia overdose or error depends on the particular circumstances of the case. If the error occurred due to an under-equipped operating room, then the hospital may be at fault.
On the other hand, if the anesthesiologist administering the drugs was negligent, and failed to monitor the patient, check medical records before the procedure, check the status of the operating room, or otherwise fail to perform to the medical standard, he or she may be held liable for the damages.
Get Legal Advice
When a patient places their trust in medical professionals, they expect to be treated with the utmost care. If the anesthesiologist or the nurse anesthetist are negligent, the patient may be left severely injured or become a victim of wrongful death. You need an experienced malpractice attorney to evaluate your case. By utilizing expert medical witnesses, they may be able to prove that malpractice occurred if the medical professionals deviated from what is considered as the standard for acceptable medical care.
