Anaesthetics are drugs used during medical procedures to put people to sleep, cause a loss of sensation and/or relieve pain. There are several types of anaesthesia that anaesthetics can be used in, and these may be used in combination for some procedures.
Anaesthetists are responsible for administering and managing the anaesthetics during the procedure – including monitoring critical bodily functions. They are also consulted beforehand to ensure that the correct approach is taken based on the procedure and medical condition/history of the patient.
Mistakes and errors when using anaesthetics
This is a specialised area of medicine and requires skilled medical professionals to ensure that anaesthesia is carried out and managed safely. However, there are risks and these can have significant consequences.
Some of the errors in anaesthesia include:
- Not assessing the patient thoroughly before an operation, leading to either incorrect doses or inappropriate drugs being used.
- Causing damage while injecting the drug, leading to pain, nerve damage or paralysis
- Failure to properly monitor a patient’s condition during and after anaesthesia. Changes in heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen flow from anaesthetics put some patients at risk of strokes and heart problems.
Medical negligence claims with anaesthesia
Not all mistakes in the administration of anaesthesia are the result of medical negligence. To prove that negligence has occured, there has to be evidence that shows:
- that the error caused harm or injury; AND
- it must be agreed that a similarly trained professional would not have made the same error.
Shine Lawyers can help
If you believe you have been injured or suffered loss as a result of an anaesthesia error, get in touch with Shine via phone or the contact form below for an obligation-free consultation. We offer our anaesthesia errors and compensation claims services on a No Win, No Fee basis so you don't have to worry about out-of-pocket legal expenses.
For more information on how Shine Lawyers will handle your case, watch our simple step-by-step guide to compensation claims below. Or if you want to find out more about anaesthesia error compensation claims, see our Common Questions section.
