Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Negligence Lawyers

Call Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., if A Medical Facility Failed to Monitor Your Loved One in the PACU

No matter how simple or complex the medical procedure, anesthesia can cause a person’s blood pressure to drop. Even after the surgery is finished, your loved one must be closely monitored to ensure their heart does not suddenly stop. At Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., we have been helping injury victims seek justice when they or their loved ones are neglected. We co-counsel with other lawyers who do nothing but medical malpractice to ensure that you are getting the best possible representation we can provide. When you hire our team, you get quality work on a contingency fee basis–meaning you pay nothing upfront and no fees unless a recovery is made for you.

(Not an actual client.)

Why Do Patients Need to Be Monitored After Surgery?

There are always risks when a patient has surgery. Many of the adverse effects, however, can be prevented or reversed if caught early on. During the initial recovery here are some things that should be monitored:

• Elevations in temperature indicate that the patient may have an infection starting at the surgical site.
• Declining oxygen levels may occur due to the patient’s breathing becoming depressed or completely stopping as a side effect of the anesthesia and/or pain medications used.
• A decreasing or dipping pulse rate indicates that the heart is not pumping enough oxygen to the brain.
• Respiratory collapse.
• Throat collapse.
• Pain.
• Allergic reactions to medications.

Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) in the PACU

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a type of brain damage that results from the deprivation of oxygen to the brain. One way this can occur in the PACU is by the staff failing to monitor a patient’s breathing patterns following the administration of narcotic pain medication. Opiates administered for pain relief such as Fentanyl or Demerol, are known to cause respiratory depression.  Failure to monitor a patient’s vital signs while under the influence of such a powerful opiate drug can result in the patient ceasing to breathe and/or breathing properly. Oxygen deprivation that results from this can lead to serious permanent brain damage.

Another way hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) may occur in a patient while in a Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, is by way of respiratory collapse. This can be the result of a lung collapse or throat collapse. Throat collapse can occur in patients (particularly obese) patients who are unconscious and left lying on their backs unmonitored.  This may be even more likely in patients who require a tracheostomy. Regardless of the patient’s condition, proper monitoring of the vital signs should be done and allow doctors and nurses to prevent oxygen deprivation before it results in permanent irreversible brain injury.

Call for a Free Consultation

If you suspect that your loved one suffered a hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy from oxygen deprivation due to the negligent failure to monitor their recovery in the post-anesthesia care unit, you should contact Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. for a free case evaluation. We accept calls nationwide and our phone is open 24/7 to discuss your case. The call is toll-free, the consult is free and if we take on your case, we do not charge you a dime unless we make a recovery. Call us today at (713) 932-0777,