Types of Intubation Errors Caused By Florida Healthcare Providers
Any time you undergo elective surgery or an emergency procedure, you can expect that healthcare providers will provide some sort of ventilation assistance while you are under the effects of anesthesia. Intubation is a procedure that involves inserting a long tube into the trachea. The other end of the tube is connected to a ventilator, which acts as lungs when patients cannot breathe on their own, especially during certain surgical procedures.
Although intubation is a common practice, the equipment is highly sophisticated and requires intense training of staff to avoid severe, life-threatening complications.
Unfortunately, unqualified medical staff may handle mechanical ventilators and intubation. Errors related to the intubation process and mistakes in operating the equipment can lead to serious harm, as the patient cannot breathe without ventilation assistance.
A Florida medical malpractice lawyer can explain your legal rights if healthcare providers cause any type of intubation error.
Errors in Placement and Removal During Intubation
Carelessness in inserting the ventilator tube could cause injuries to the trachea, esophagus, and vocal cords, as well as nerve tissue in the affected area. Despite extensive training and guidelines on intubation, physicians may use too much force or improperly direct the tube.
Errors during the removal process can also lead to perforations and punctures of extremely delicate tissues. Additional surgery is often necessary to repair the damage, and some patients will sustain related trauma, such as injuries to the lips, teeth, and mouth.
Dislodged or Disconnected Tube During Intubation
Even if improper placement during intubation does not cause immediate injuries, more serious complications can result if the tube disengages. For example, a physician may make an error if they place the breathing tube down the esophagus.
Healthcare providers are responsible not only for proper intubation but also for ensuring that the tube remains safely in place throughout the procedure. A common practice is using imaging technology after placement and periodically during surgery, but attending staff should also monitor the patient’s oxygen levels for signs of trouble.
Improper Use of Intubation Equipment
When a patient requires breathing assistance for a longer period, healthcare providers must frequently assess and make appropriate changes to ventilator equipment.
Unqualified staff may make mistakes that include:
- Changing settings without proper authorization
- Implementing improper ventilator settings
- Neglecting to adjust alarms
- Failing to communicate changes and alarms to physicians
Intubated Patients May Develop Ventilator Dependency
Prolonged periods on a ventilator can also cause harm to patients, even in the absence of other medical negligence. Patients are at increased risk of infection, pneumonia, and serious respiratory complications.
Over time, the tube generates scar tissue, affecting the patient’s breathing. Healthcare providers have the duty to make proper decisions on ventilator removal to avoid poor patient outcomes.
Why Might Healthcare Providers Intubate Me or a Loved One?
Intubation can be necessary in many cases and for many types of patients. Sometimes intubation is an emergency procedure; other times, it is planned before a procedure where a patient may need help breathing. Patients, like premature babies and others, may need intubation because they currently struggle to breathe without help for various reasons.
Some of the common reasons a healthcare provider may require intubation include:
- As preparation for a surgery where a patient will be unable to breathe on their own
- Injuries or objects that obstruct the airway and make it difficult or impossible to breathe without assistance
- Risks for breathing in substances like blood, food, beverages, and vomit
- Cardiac arrest and loss of consciousness, as these events can cause patients to stop breathing
- Conditions that prevent patients from breathing easily on their own or at all
Intubation is crucial for many reasons, but it is not without its risks. Some of the harm done by intubation may not be evidence of malpractice, but malpractice can occur, and it’s up to a Florida personal injury lawyer to identify evidence of malpractice.
How Do Lawyers Prove Malpractice in Intubation Error Cases?
The threshold for establishing medical malpractice is quite high in Florida, and these cases require a deep understanding of state laws. At the foundation of any medical malpractice case, however, is proving that the healthcare provider’s actions were negligent. Here’s what lawyers must prove:
- The healthcare provider owed you or your loved one a professional duty of care. Essentially, if you are under the care of the provider in a professional capacity, this establishes this duty.
- The provider violated this duty. This means that the provider’s care was not up to the standards that other qualified professionals would have provided in the same scenario. In the case of intubation errors, we have to ask if a provider in a similar situation would have made the same decisions or actions that caused you harm.
- The healthcare provider’s decisions caused your harm. A lawyer must link the provider’s choices, actions, or inactions to your harm.
- You have injuries and losses because of these actions. You must show proof of harm from your intubation error.
Pursuing damages for intubation errors can be quite complex, as intubation is often critical for patient welfare. It takes an experienced lawyer familiar with malpractice standards to hold providers accountable in such nuanced scenarios.
What Damages Can I Seek for an Intubation Error Malpractice Case in Florida?
In medical malpractice cases, you can claim two primary types of damages: economic and non-economic. Economic damages address the financial losses and expenses associated with the injuries from your intubation errors. This can include:
- Surgical expenses, especially if you needed additional surgeries to address an injury caused by intubation
- Other current and future medical expenses
- Hospital stays and emergency room visits
- Lost income or earning potential of the injuries or complications of your intubation error prevent you from working or returning to work
- Travel expenses if you have to see specialists to treat your injuries
- Household expenses if your injuries and related complications make it difficult to run your household
- Funeral and burial expenses if a loved one’s death is related to intubation errors
Non-economic damages are those losses with mental and emotional effects that can make it hard to live your life normally. These include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement and impairment
- Loss of enjoyment
You may also be entitled to non-economic damages if these intubation errors caused your loved one’s passing.
Discuss Legal Remedies with Our Florida Medical Malpractice Lawyers
If you or a loved one suffered harm because of an intubation error, you may have a claim for airway medical malpractice. Our team at Freidin Brown, P.A. can provide additional details, so please contact our office to schedule a no-cost case evaluation. Once we review your circumstances, we can talk about potential legal remedies.
