Injury caused by Anaesthesia
The term Anaesthesia refers to
a loss of consciousness or feeling brought about by the careful
administration of drugs enabling surgical procedures to be carried out.
The drugs are usually
administered by way of injection but can also be given via a mask.
There are two types of
Anaesthesia:
If you wish to make an enquiry
about this form of medical negligence, please contact
us for a discussion.
Awareness
"Awareness" is a serious complication of anaesthesia
and whilst it is said to affect less than 1% of
patients undergoing surgery, the experience can be
horrific and trauma inducing.
Many cases
go unreported because patients are so severely
traumatised and may have a fear of not being believed.
Awareness
in this context causes feelings of pain, fear and
distress and can lead to post traumatic stress
disorder. The patient may be able to recall events or
conversations that occurred during the surgery.
Patients
should be constantly monitored during their
anaesthetised state and any imbalance must be dealt
with.
Negligence
can often occur as a result of poor expertise or
experience, faulty equipment or a lack of knowledge
about a patients history.
To avoid
any problems the surgical team should:
-
Check the
patients medical notes thoroughly
-
Administer
adequate premedication.
-
Check all
equipment regularly for faults
-
Have the
required expertise
-
Adequately
monitor the patient at all times during the procedure
-
Check the
content and dosage of the drugs administered.
Any patient that suffers from
"awareness" during surgery may have a claim for
medical negligence. Please make an enquiry with us
today and we shall advise you of your rights to claim
compensation.
If you feel that you or a member of
your family have been the victim of such negligence
please contact us immediately for legal advice. You
may be entitled to claim compensation damages.
Contact us today by
email or phone
0800 0322210
for immediate legal advice on your
medical negligence claim.
