It has been shown that general anesthesia can cause various adverse effects, more common in children than adults. Oftentimes, the administration of anesthesia can decrease the blood and oxygen flow to the brain. This can come about due to simple miscommunication between nurses, anesthesiologists, and their physicians.
Sadly, such anesthesia mistakes can lead to lifetime disability or even wrongful death. Should the patient survive an anesthesia overdose they may still exhibit signs of mental or physical incapacity that will prevent them from ever earning a living or performing the normal functions of life.
However, a recent study concerns strategies that can reduce or eliminate brain damage that may occur when such anesthesia is administered. It has been found that strategies using proteins and vitamins and experimentations with lower doses of anesthesia can often reduce the risk of such brain damage.
One of the most effective strategies for children appears to be dividing the doses of anesthesia up so that the child does not have to be delivered a full dose at any one time. In a sense, this inoculates the child’s brain so that subsequent doses do not automatically bring on adverse reactions.
It has been felt that a variety of strategies should be available in any surgical setting because one single strategy may not be effective under all circumstances. Certain strategies involve their own set of risks and means of offsetting the risks of each strategy must also be considered.
Medical malpractice claims brought by Ohio or Kentucky attorneys and clients often come about due to physicians not doing everything medically necessary to prevent injuries to patients. Physicians, anesthesiologists, and medical providers, in general, will have to familiarize themselves with differing treatments in the future. A practice conducted a number of years ago may no longer be considered good medical practice in the future.
If you or a loved one received traumatic brain injuries or any type of head injury due to the negligence of a medical professional, reach out to one of the Ohio medical malpractice lawyers at our Cincinnati injury law firm today.
Source: EurekAlert.org, “Treatments to reduce anesthesia-induced injury in children show promise in animal studies,” March 28, 2012, by Marguerite Beck