Understanding Anaesthetic Failures and the Physical and Psychological Impact: A Guide to Spotting Medical Negligence
Anaesthesia is an essential part of modern medicine, ensuring patients undergo surgery or medical procedures without pain or awareness. However, when anaesthetic procedures go wrong, the consequences can be life-altering—physically and psychologically.
What Is an Anaesthetic Failure?
Anaesthetic failures occur when there is an error in administering or managing anaesthesia. These errors can lead to serious complications, including:
- Awareness during surgery (anaesthesia awareness): A rare but traumatic condition where patients are conscious and can feel pain during surgery.
- Incorrect dosage: Overdose or under dose of anaesthetic drugs can lead to organ damage, cardiovascular issues, or insufficient pain relief.
- Allergic reactions: Failure to identify or manage an allergy can result in anaphylaxis.
- Delayed or failed intubation: Leading to oxygen deprivation and potential brain injury.
Psychological Impact of Anaesthetic Failures
The psychological effects of anaesthetic errors can be profound. Patients who experience awareness during surgery often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms of PTSD may include:
- Flashbacks of the surgery.
- Anxiety or depression.
- Sleep disturbances or nightmares.
Even less severe errors can cause anxiety about future medical procedures, impacting a patient’s trust in healthcare providers.
What Constitutes Medical Negligence in Anaesthetic Errors?
Medical negligence occurs when a healthcare provider fails to meet the expected standard of care, harming the patient. In anaesthetic cases, negligence may involve:
- Inadequate Pre-Procedure Assessment
- A failure to review the patient’s medical history, allergies, or current medications.
- Not performing necessary tests to ensure the patient is fit for anaesthesia.
- Errors in Administration
- Administering the wrong dosage of anaesthetic drugs.
- Using faulty equipment or failing to check its functionality.
- Failure to Monitor the Patient
- Not detecting early signs of anaesthetic awareness or complications during the procedure.
- Failing to provide timely interventions in case of adverse reactions.
- Post-Operative Negligence
- Not managing pain effectively after surgery.
- Ignoring psychological symptoms such as distress or PTSD.
How to Identify Medical Negligence
If you suspect an anaesthetic failure was due to negligence, look for the following signs:
- Unexplained Complications: Were the complications foreseeable and preventable?
- Lack of Communication: Were risks explained to you before the procedure?
- Incomplete Medical Records: Do your records show proper pre-procedure assessments?
- Psychological Harm: Was post-operative care sufficient to address your psychological well-being?
The NHS provides information on how anaesthesia works and what to expect during procedures, which can help you understand if something goes wrong.
How Tomlin and Partners Can Help
If you believe you’ve suffered due to an anaesthetic error, our team is here to help. We specialise in securing compensation for victims of clinical negligence.
Take the First Step Towards Justice
Anaesthetic errors can have lasting consequences, but you don’t have to face them alone. Contact Tomlin and Partners today for a free consultation. Let our experienced clinical negligence solicitors help you get the compensation you deserve.