As part of their jobs, anesthesiologists, emergency physicians and the like are expected to act quickly and carefully even when under profound pressure. Although not every undesired result is a case of negligence, if a physician’s error causes a patient in the Kansas City area an injury, then that patient may be able to get compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit. The fact that a doctor was under the gun or even in a life-or-death situation is not always an excuse for a mistake.
One situation in which doctors may have to act quickly, and, thus, are prone to errors, is in the insertion of a breathing tube. As the name implies, a breathing tube may be necessary to help a patient get enough oxygen. While they are also routinely used by anesthesiologists in the operating room, many times, a doctor has to insert a breathing tube under emergency circumstances.
Doctors do not have the same opportunities to practice inserting a breathing tube as they do other procedures. As a result, there are some common errors that can happen in the process. For instance, the target a doctor must hit to successfully insert a tube is small, hard to see and easy to miss. Moreover, a patient must be positioned correctly for the tube to work properly.
Sadly, not inserting a breathing tube correctly can have severe consequences, including oxygen deprivation and aspiration, that is, the sucking of an object or liquid down into one’s lungs. Both conditions are potentially fatal.
Those in the Kansas City area who feel a breathing tube error may have contributed to the untimely death or unfortunate injury of a loved one should consider speaking with an experienced attorney who can help them evaluate their options.
