Anesthesia Injuries And Young Children
For adults and children facing surgery, anesthesia can be invaluable and in most cases safe and effective. Where an anesthesiologist fails to properly administer the drug, a patient can experience serious physical harm. In such instances, the patient may be a victim of medical malpractice. Now, recent articles are pointing to the growing concern about the effects of even the appropriate use of anesthesia on young children.
In March, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study evaluating the implications of general anesthesia on children and the potential for brain injuries. The study revealed that a growing body of evidence suggests that under certain circumstances, the use of general anesthesia may lead to cognitive problems or learning disabilities. As a result, special considerations are necessary when administering anesthetic drugs to young patients to avoid causing an anesthesia injury.
In order to address these concerns, the FDA has formed a panel to evaluate anesthesia injuries. One of the main goals of the panel is to provide better communication about the risks of injury with parents whose children are facing surgery and the need for anesthesia.
Although anesthesia is a critical component in managing pain, it is critical to determine a better understanding of exactly what risks children face, and whether the dose, age, and length of exposure affect the extent of the cognitive or neurological injury. Also, the type of potential injury children face is being examined. Dr. Randall Flick, a professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic is researching whether anesthesia exposure is related to autism or attention disorder.
For more information or if you or a loved one has suffered an anesthesia injury, please contact the experienced anesthesia injury lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson, LLC. Our dedicated San Francisco medical malpractice lawyers may be able to help you obtain compensation for your losses.
