Posts Tagged "Medical Devices"

Medical Malpractice – Anesthesia Errors

Posted by admin on Jun 6, 2010 in Articles | 0 comments

Anesthesia has opened up the world of medicine in ways that would otherwise not be possible. Even though anesthesia errors are rare, they can have devastating consequences. Anesthesia administration is such a complex and potentially dangerous part of surgery that it must be performed by an anesthesiologist, a specialist who works alongside the surgeon and whose only job is to administer the anesthesia and monitor the patient. Anesthesia errors are one of the most catastrophic types of medical malpractice.

Anesthesia errors Anesthesia errors can happen in many ways and may be caused by human error before or during surgery or by defective equipment. Anesthesia errors and their causes include:

• Overdose
• Administration of too little anesthesia
• Delayed delivery of anesthesia
• Allergic reaction to anesthesia
• Harmful drug interactions
• Defective medical devices used during sedation
• Inadequate product labeling
• Failure to give proper instructions to the patient regarding fasting before surgery
• Failure to properly monitor the patient while sedated
• Failure to properly administer oxygen or respond to oxygenation problems during surgery

Who is responsible for anesthesia error?

Parties responsible for errors can vary depending on the nature of the error. Although the anesthesiologist is primarily responsible for properly administering the medication, monitoring the patient, and taking appropriate measures if a problem arises, a drug company, medical device manufacturer, health care facility, and other health care practitioners or medical staff may be responsible for the cause of the error. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can advise you of your rights should you lose a loved one to a medical mistake.

Injuries caused by anesthesia error

The results of anesthesia error also depend on the nature of the error and can cause permanent impairment or death. These injuries include:
• Anesthesia awareness
• Brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Paralysis
• Nerve damage
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Birth defects
• Asphyxia
• Coma
• Death

Anesthesia awareness

Anesthesia awareness does not cause immediate physical harm, but it is the most traumatic anesthesia injury and it can lead to serious health problems later down the road because victims are often so terrified of health care procedures after the experience that they avoid going to doctors altogether.

In anesthesia awareness the patient is conscious during surgery. He may feel extreme pain or be able to feel what is going on during the procedure. At the same time, the patient is paralyzed and cannot communicate at all. It is impossible to escape the experience or get help. Anesthesia awareness can lead to:
• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Anxiety and panic disorders
• Sleep disorders
• Total avoidance of doctors and medical settings due to extreme fear no matter how great the need for medical attention

If you live in the Baltimore area and have suffered due to medical malpractice, please visit the website of the Maryland medical malpractice attorneys The Yost Legal Group today.

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How to Monitor Medical Device Recalls and Drug Recalls

Posted by admin on Apr 12, 2009 in Articles | 0 comments

Michael S. Thomas asked:




The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publishes all medical device recalls and drug recalls on their web site. In order to search out a specific product under recall, you will need to know the manufacturing firm, as all searches are keyed off of the firm name. It should be noted that in some cases, drugs or medical devices may be manufactured by one firm under license of another firm. In those instances, the company marketing the product is responsible, and will be the firm of record on the FDA site.

In addition, the FDA publishes a weekly report on Wednesdays called the Enforcement Report, listing all recall activities for the prior week. You can register to receive an e-mailed copy of this report. Note that the Enforcement Report covers the entire jurisdiction of the FDA, so it will include food recalls, blood bank issues, as well as medical device and pharmaceutical actions.

The FDA web site will list the recalling firm, a description of the product under recall, catalog and lot numbers being recalled, and a description of the recall. It will also list the quantity recalled and the scope of distribution (what countries the product was distributed too). However, the site will not list clinical implications of the recalled product, so it will not provide the consumer any expectation of what impact the recalled product might have on patients. For that information, you will have to consult a medical professional.

While you may try to contact the manufacturer of a recalled product, chances are they will not discuss medical implications of their recalled product. Manufacturers are not licensed health care providers, and are legally constrained from providing medical advice to patients. While they can and will advise doctors on the intended use of their products, they cannot get between that doctor-patient relationship. Manufacturers are not necessarily trying to obscure issues with patients, despite the frustration you may feel in getting answers.

In the end, to understand how a recalled medical device or drug could impact your life your best bet is consulting your doctor. Securing a lawyer can be helpful, but is not always an automatic step. Only a doctor can assess the potential for harm, and as we will see in the next post, most recalls involve very limited risk to patients.

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