When you go in for an operation at your local Washington hospital, you want to feel secure that your surgery staff will properly administer any medication they need to give you so that you may complete the operation without a problem. However, as Elcam Medical points out, every year medical errors result in the deaths of 251,000 people, which include incorrect dosages of medication for surgery. These incorrect dosages can have serious or even fatal consequences.
Medical professionals administer anesthesia so that a surgery patient can be put under and not feel pain during the operation. However, if a member of the surgery team dispenses the wrong dosage to the patient, it can create serious problems. An excessive dose of anesthesia can more deeply sedate the patient and possibly put the patient into a prolonged coma, and can also create dangerous health conditions like nerve damage or heart problems.
Conversely, too little anesthesia might not keep the patient under for the entire duration of the surgery. Without sufficient anesthesia, a patient could wake up in the middle of the surgery. The experience of waking up while being operated on can be frightening and even traumatic.
Surgery professionals should also maintain proper flow of intravenous fluid. If the regulation of the fluid is not performed correctly, it can cause serious problems. An excess of fluid may result in headaches, feelings of anxiousness, problems with breathing, and an increase in blood pressure. A flow that is too minimal may keep a surgery patient from properly responding to the drug.
Be aware that this article is not written to provide you with any legal advice. It is intended for educational purposes only on the topic of surgical errors.