How Do They Occur? What Treatments Are Available?
Anesthesia is a common part of many medical procedures, allowing patients to undergo simple and complex procedures without experiencing physical or mental pain. In the vast majority of cases, the patient experiences no adverse effects from anesthesia. However, when a medical professional fails to exercise reasonable care—neglecting to do a proper workup to determine the possibility of an allergic reaction or administering an incorrect amount of anesthesia—injuries can occur.
Common Anesthesia Mistakes and Injuries
Carelessness During Intubation—Surprisingly, the injury most often suffered when a patient undergoes anesthesia is a chipped or damaged tooth. With many types of anesthesia, a patient must have a tube inserted into the mouth and down the throat to regulate breathing during a surgical procedure. During intubation (the process of inserting the tube down the patient’s throat), a lack of appropriate care can cause a chipped or broken tooth, which can in turn pose potential risk for choking or suffocation.
Failure to Communicate with Patient or Review Their Medical Records—Another common occurrence involves the failure of the anesthesiologist to properly review medical records and communicate with a patient. This can lead to life-threatening behaviors by the patient, such as eating or drinking too recently before a surgical procedure. It can also cause an anesthesiologist to administer a drug that causes an allergic reaction.
Improperly Positioning a Patient Under Anesthesia—Anesthesia errors can lead to nerve damage, either from impingements to a nerve caused by improper movement or positioning of a patient under anesthesia, or from the administration of the wrong type or amount of anesthesia.
Incorrect Type or Amount of Anesthesia—When the wrong type of anesthesia or an incorrect dosage is administered, it can negatively affect the body’s ability to take in oxygen, which can lead to organ failure, including heart attack or stroke. The loss of or decrease in oxygen caused by an anesthesia error can also cause some level of permanent brain damage. In cases where an insufficient amount of anesthesia is used, a patient may experience “anesthesia awareness,” where they know what is going on and may feel pain but is unable to move or speak. Anesthesia awareness has been tied to PTSD, changes in sleep patterns, and other psychological trauma.
Failure to monitor a patient under anesthesia—Failing to adequately monitor the patient during anesthesia can also lead to aspiration, in which a patient is unable to get necessary oxygen.
How Are Anesthesia Errors Treated?
The treatment available for an anesthesia injury depends, to a significant degree, on the level of toxicity. Some errors can be effectively treated with airway management strategies, including intubation or tracheotomy. Cardiopulmonary bypass may be necessary, as well as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR.
