Articles Posted in Anesthesiology Errors

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Maria Ocasio had an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography at a hospital. While under anesthesia, she suffered sedation-induced respiratory depression and hypoxia, which led to cardiopulmonary arrest and catastrophic brain damage that left her in a vegetative state.

Ocasio’s estate sued Meriden-Wallingford Anesthesia Group P.C. and the estate of a treating employee physician, alleging that the doctor and a CRNA improperly administered an excessive amount of propofol to Ocasio and chose not to treat her hypoxia, properly monitor her vital signs and finally resuscitate her.

Propofol is an intravenous sedative and anesthetic primarily used for inducing and maintaining anesthesia during surgical procedures and for providing sedation for critically ill patients. The use of propofol carries risks of side effects like hypotension, respiratory depression, and with prolonged use, something called a propofol infusion syndrome.
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LaTresia Austin, 39, was a breast cancer survivor. She elected to undergo a one-hour reconstructive breast surgery at a San Diego hospital. When her breathing tube was removed postoperatively, her vocal cord spasmed. Unfortunately, the tube was reinserted into her esophagus, and allegedly it took more than ten minutes for doctors to realize she was experiencing oxygen deprivation.

When the error was discovered, Austin was transferred to the ICU where she died of a hypoxic brain injury. Her death was caused by the breathing tube mishap and the ten-minute delay in reacting to the emergency: oxygen deprivation to the brain. She was survived by her husband and child.

Austin’s estate sued the Regents of the University of California, alleging improper monitoring and choosing not to timely check the breathing tube, which was the cause of her brain injury and finally her wrongful death.
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Gloria Nogan, 81, underwent a partial colonoscopy after presenting at the hospital emergency room for gastroenterological symptoms. The attending anesthesiologist, Dr. Bassen Ghaly, used a monitored anesthesia care sedation method instead of general anesthesia with an endotracheal tube intubation.

Nogan aspirated during the procedure and later died of complications from aspiration. Her estate sued Dr. Ghaly and Resolute Anesthesia, alleging that Dr. Ghaly had chosen not to conduct a proper pre-anesthesia evaluation, including documenting Nogan’s high risk for aspiration. The lawsuit also alleged failure to utilize an endotracheal intubation.

After the jury signed a verdict for $4 million, the parties settled for the insurance policy limits of $2 million.
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Darren Vines, 48, was a corrections officer when he suffered a concussion after being beaten in a workplace attack. One week later, he underwent a procedure to remove food from his throat. He later vomited blood and went to a hospital emergency department. A gastroenterologist, Dr. Aaron Greenspan, performed a second surgical procedure to investigate his condition and reported an esophageal tear.

At the start of this second procedure, a nurse anesthetist noted the presence of blood in Vines’ stomach. The nurse asked Dr. Greenspan three or four times to convert to general anesthesia and allow Vines to have a breathing tube. Dr. Greenspan refused.

Vines aspirated his stomach contents and went into respiratory and cardiac distress. He suffered hypoxia, which left him with significant memory deficits for six months.
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Toni Marie Overmyer, 44, underwent a robotic hysterectomy at Swedish Hospital. After she was extubated in the operating room, the attending CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) allegedly noticed that Overmyer was not breathing properly. She was placed back on a monitor, which showed that Overmyer had bradycardia, in other words, a slower than normal heartbeat. The CRNA then began bag mask ventilation and administered vasopressin and ephedrine, which was designed to increase Overmyer’s heart rate and blood pressure.

The efforts to restore heart rate and blood pressure failed.

An anesthesiologist arrived and noted that Overmyer was flaccid, had dilated pupils, and had a systolic blood pressure of 54 mm/Hg. The doctor called a code, and Overmyer was reintubated. Although her blood pressure and heart rate normalized quickly, she suffered anoxic brain injury and did not regain consciousness. Unfortunately, Overmyer died eight days later and was survived by her two adult children.
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Crystal Guinard suffered from severe migraine headaches. She was in her thirties at the time. She received Phenergan and Toradol injections. Guinard received a Phenergan injection performed by nurse Marie Krausz, who was an employee of the urgent care clinic Patient First Maryland Medical Group. She then suffered a sciatic nerve injury in her right leg. Her injury, which has been determined to be permanent, resulted in complex regional pain syndrome, which necessitated implementation of a neurostimulator.

Phenergan is a drug often used to treat allergies and motion sickness. In addition, the drug can be used to control pain, nausea and vomiting.

Guinard filed a lawsuit against Krausz and the urgent care clinic alleging liability for Krausz’s improper handling of the injection. Guinard alleged that Krausz used incorrect anatomical markers when she handled the injection, which injured Guinard’s sciatic nerve.
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Zulma Unzueta appealed from a judgment entered after a jury trial in favor of the defendant Asmik Akopyan, M.D., on Unzueta’s action for medical malpractice.

Dr. Akopyan served as the anesthesiologist during the birth of Unzueta’s child, after which Unzueta’s right leg was permanently paralyzed.

The jury found Dr. Akopyan breached the duty of care she owed Unzueta, but the breach did not cause the plaintiff’s paralysis.
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Keimoneia Redish was a 40-year-old mother of five who suffered from asthma. When she experienced breathing difficulties, her partner took her to a hospital emergency department. Testing there showed that her carbon dioxide level was above normal at 57 mmol/L and that her pH level was 7.28, which is below normal and indicated mild hypercapnia and acidosis. Hypercapnia is a condition of abnormally elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the blood. Acidosis is a condition in the blood that causes the pH level to fall below the normal limit of 7.35.

Although steroids and other treatments over several hours were administered, Redish’s condition did not improve. She was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit, where an attending physician intubated her and placed her on a mechanical ventilator.

Her carbon dioxide level and pH remained stable but still out of range of normal. A pulmonologist later examined Redish and recommended that she continue the ventilator but also add Ketamine, which is a medication mainly used for starting and maintaining anesthesia. The pulmonologist indicated that if Redish’s condition did not improve, general anesthesia to relieve her bronchospasms would be recommended.
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David Marr, 72, was undergoing cancer treatments at a cancer institute. He underwent a kidney function test, which was ordered by a nurse practitioner, Janet Kunsman. Radiologist Dr. Sachin Saboo then authorized a CT scan with IV contrast.

After the contrast dye was applied, Marr suffered kidney failure. Subsequently, he required dialysis until his death three years later. The finalized results of the renal function test, which arrived after Marr’s kidney failure, showed that he had worsening kidney function.

Marr’s estate sued Kunsman and Saboo alleging negligent authorization and administration of contrast dye on a patient with worsening kidney function. Marr argued that the defendants should have reviewed the finalized test result before contrast dye was administered.
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Sharon Kimble, 50, suffered from chronic back pain. She took opioid pain medication and other drugs to alleviate her back pain. Kimble underwent back surgery at Laser Spine Institute to address her back pain.

Following this surgery, she was under the care of an anesthesiologist, Dr. Glen Rubenstein. Dr. Rubenstein ordered several essential nervous system depressants, including Dilaudid and Flexeril for pain control.

The Laser Spine Institute discharged Kimble two hours after her surgery to a nearby hotel with a prescription for oxycodone and instructions to continue her preoperative medications, including other central nervous system depressants.
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