Anesthesia overdose can occur during a surgical operation or anytime a patient undergoes a medical procedure where an anesthetic is administered. These can even include local anesthetics used by dentists when performing a variety of procedures. Adverse reactions can occur when using any type of anesthetics, including local anesthetic.
Common Reasons How Overdose Can Happen
While undergoing surgery, most of the time anesthesia is generally considered to be safe for patients. However, overdose errors can be caused by a number of mistakes made by the medical staff. Some of the most common reasons are:
- The patient was given too much anesthesia for their age or body weight
- Improper intubation resulting in lack of oxygen
- Anesthetic was incorrectly labeled
- An incorrect combination of anesthesia was used
- The medical device used to deliver the anesthesia was not working properly or defective
- Anesthesiologist failed to properly monitor the patient’s condition
- Medical staff did not obtain a full patient history and consequently an allergic reaction occurred
Those are just a few examples of how an anesthesia overdose can happen and are often the result of medical negligence.
Obtaining Damages for Medical Negligence
When serious injury or death occurs due to anesthesia overdose, the patient will want to recover damages for malpractice. There are several types of damages that a plaintiff can be awarded. Compensatory damages are both economic and non-economic in nature. These include:
- Costs for all medical care, including hospital and ambulance bills, medications, and rehabilitation treatment
- Past, present and future income lost due to injury or death
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium may be sought by one spouse when the injured victim is unable to provide their partner with love, affection or engage in normal sexual relations as they did prior to the accident
- Permanent disability, such as the patient fails to regain consciousness or remains in a coma
The court may award punitive damages when the conduct of the medical practitioner was viewed as acting in a wanton or willful manner. An example of this may be if the anesthesiologist was intoxicated at the time of surgery. These damages are a way for the court system to punish the defendant for their outrageous behavior and hopefully discourage others from acting in a similar manner in the future.
Patient Recovery
Even though it may take only a few minutes to succumb to general anesthesia, it might take several hours for a patient to wake up. Some patients can experience adverse affects from the anesthesia such as nausea and vomiting. If a patient has been intubated with an endotracheal tube to assist with breathing, it is extremely important that their condition be monitored closely. A nurse should always be checking a patient’s vital signs, including blood pressure, temperature and heart rate. A common complaint heard from post-op patients is that they are cold and often require warm blankets.
If the worst happens and a patient does not recover from the overdose remaining in a coma or suffering death, the family may file a wrongful death lawsuit against the medical personnel responsible, including the hospital.
Hiring a Malpractice Attorney
When people undergo anesthesia, they place their lives in the hands of medical professionals. When malpractice occurs as a result of negligence, the injured victim always has the right to seek compensation. These matters can be extremely complicated and may take years to litigate. Therefore, it’s best to seek legal guidance from a medical malpractice attorney who will fight for your right to recover damages for your injuries.
