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Over the years, the number of reported anesthesia complications has significantly decreased. Decades ago anesthesiologists were one of the most targeted groups in terms of malpractice litigation. In the 1970s, the death rate because of anesthesia complications was about one of every 10,000 patients, or an estimated 6,000 Americans left either dead or brain damaged every year. These avoidable anesthesia complications caused malpractice premiums to skyrocket, but anesthesiologists worked on improving the mortality rate.
Anesthesia complications are similar to the problems other medical specialties claim to be in, and just as anesthesiologists complained about overly litigious conditions because of greedy lawyers and insurance companies, the American Society of Anesthesiologists established the specialty's first ever comprehensive safety guidelines. The guidelines drastically improved the anesthesia complications rates through the bar on leaving patients unattended during surgery, working with equipment manufacturers to enable new designs of devices to minimize human error and increasing doctor training. As malpractice awards in individual states have been capped, and as President Bush pushes to cap malpractice awards as well, some experts believe a lot can be learned by the manner in which anesthesiologists have achieved a lower anesthesia complications rate over the years.
Efforts did not go unrewarded, and by the late 1990s, anesthesia complications mortality rates had dropped to fewer than one in 200,000 patients. Lower anesthesia complications also resulted in payouts from the number of lawsuits being nearly halved, and malpractice insurance costs falling. By 2002, premiums were lower than they were in 1985, but anesthesia complications can still occur and continued efforts to identify dangerous trends are still being studied.
All types of anesthesia involve the risk of anesthesia complications, which can be influenced by the patient's individual health, type of anesthesia used and the response to it. Age and certain medical conditions, such as heart, circulation or nervous system problems, can increase the risk of anesthesia complications. Local, regional and general anesthesia can be used, mainly depending on the surgical procedure performed, and all forms carry the risk of anesthesia complications.
Typically, local anesthesia complications are rare, but in high doses it can have toxic effects if absorbed through the bloodstream into the rest of the body. The anesthesia complications can cause breathing, heartbeat, blood pressure and other body function effects. Emergency care equipment is available and should be immediately used because of the potentially toxic anesthesia complications that can arise.
Regional anesthesia complications can occur when the injections are made close to a nerve, a bundle of nerves or the spinal cord. Regional anesthesia complications can include nerve damage that causes persistent numbness, weakness or pain because of the proximity. Risk of systemic toxicity is also present should the anesthetic be absorbed through the bloodstream, as well of anesthesia complications from heart or lung problems and infection, swelling or bruising at the injection site. Most commonly, spinal anesthesia complications include a headache because of cerebrospinal fluid leakage, which must be treated quickly with a blood patch to prevent further anesthesia complications.
Even though general anesthesia complications are not as common as in the past, serious effects can occur because of the way the entire body is involved with this form of anesthesia. According to new reports, every year 40,000 people wake up during their surgeries while the physician has no idea. Called anesthesia awareness, the anesthesia complication occurs one to two times per 1,000 operations and many of these patients report recurring fears, nightmares and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder because of it.
Despite precautions taken anesthesia complications can still occur, leaving a person dead, with severe injuries and other effects.
To learn more information on anesthesia complications, contact us.
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