One of the most devastating types of Oregon medical malpractice are anesthesia errors. Anesthesia is a very powerful cocktail of drugs which minor miscalculations could have big ramifications. While there are many possible things that could go wrong with anesthesia errors, the most catastrophic injuries are usually caused by a failure to correctly intubate a patient. This is because a patient needs a steady and constant supply of oxygen. During a surgery when the patient is anesthetized, he or she cannot tell the hospital staff that he or she needs more oxygen. Therefore, it is the job of the surgeon and the medical staff to ensure that there is a steady supply of oxygen to the patient. When they fail to do this, it could result in serious hypoxic (oxygen deficiency) and anoxic (oxygen deprivation) injuries. Any victim of an anesthesia error should contact our Oregon medical malpractice lawyers for help.
Intubation is simply the process of placing a tube into a person’s airway to perform a procedure. This is used in surgical procedures where a person is fully anesthetized under full sedation. The purpose behind intubation is to provide a person a direct supply of oxygen during a procedure to ensure the airway is preserved. Intubation can also be used to provide the anesthesia, medicine, or other chemicals. Intubation can also be used in an emergency situation to help a person breath if there is another injury such as a collapsed lunch or damaged airway.
One of the first things that a medical student may learn about surgery itself is intubation. Many healthcare professionals practice intubation on test dummies and eventually on live subjects—usually each other. This is because intubation should be something that is basic and routine, especially for a surgeon, anesthesiologists, CRNA, or any other qualified surgical or anesthesia assistant, nurse, or technician.
When a patient is not correct intubated, it can obviously result in serious injuries or wrongful death. This is because a patient who has been anesthetized may have great difficulty breathing on his own or her own to begin with. During a surgery a patient may be positioned in a manner that may also be more difficult to breathe naturally. Therefore, a patient may simply not be able to breathe without assistance.
Our Oregon medical malpractice lawyers know how dangerous and deadly the failure to correctly intubate a patient can be for a family. Some of the most common damages from the failure to correctly intubate a patient include the following:
A failure to intubate may not be obvious right away. This is because a surgery has so many other moving parts with it which could have caused the same injuries or related injures. This is why it is always important to have a lawyer review you medical records and injuries. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form. We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.
Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles, St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.
We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.
Please act quickly, there is a limited time (Statute of Limitations) in which you can bring a claim under the law.