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Ohio Failure to Preserve Airway Lawyers
Caring representation for Ohio medical malpractice victims and families
Airway management generally refers to medical care that ensures a patient has an open airway between their lungs and the outside – to allow a patient to breathe and to provide enough oxygen and ventilation. Airway management, according to Respiratory Therapy Zone, is used in different medical settings including “emergency medicine, anesthesiology, critical care, and pulmonology.” “It is particularly vital during surgeries that involve general anesthesia, in the treatment of trauma patients, and in critical care settings where respiratory function is compromised.”
At Crandall & Pera Law, we hold surgeons, ER doctors, and other doctors accountable when they fail to recognize when airway management is essential, fail to properly preserve a patient’s airway, and fail to recognize the possible complications. Crandall & Pera Law has been representing personal injury victims for 30 years. Founding partner Steve Crandall has been awarded the Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America, among many other honors. Our Ohio failure to preserve airway lawyers represent patients who suffer harm due to medical malpractice and families when medical malpractice is tragically fatal. We’re ready to fight for you now.
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Table of Contents
- What is airway management?
- What are the different types of airway management?
- Why can healthcare providers be held liable for airway management injuries and fatalities?
- What injuries can improper airway management cause patients in Ohio?
- Do you have an Ohio failure to preserve airway lawyer near me?
What is airway management?
Respiratory Therapy Zone states that “the objective [of airway management] is to prevent airway obstruction and thereby facilitate the adequate exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, both during normal breathing and under artificial ventilation.”
What are the different types of airway management?
There are many different types of airway management , including:
- Endotracheal suctioning. This procedure uses a suction catheter that healthcare professionals insert “through an endotracheal tube to remove respiratory secretions.” The procedure is generally used in “intubated patients, particularly those on mechanical ventilation, to maintain a clear airway and minimize the risk of infection.” The procedure helps to prevent “the accumulation of mucus and other secretions, which could otherwise lead to complications like pneumonia or atelectasis.”
- Intubation. Intubation involves inserting an “endotracheal tube through the mouth or nose into the trachea. This procedure is commonly performed in settings requiring general anesthesia, in emergency situations involving respiratory distress, or in critical care settings to facilitate mechanical ventilation. Intubation ensures a patent airway, allows for better control of oxygenation and ventilation, and protects the lungs from aspiration of gastric contents.”
- Other types of airway management include:
- Sputum sampling.
- Emergency surgical airways.
Depending on the various types of airway management techniques, healthcare providers need to properly secure the airway, confirm the proper placement of the tube, provide secretion clearance, use tracheostomy care, troubleshoot airway emergencies, and perform extubation (removal of the intubation device).
Artificial airway management
Artificial airways refer to devices that healthcare providers insert to create or maintain an open airway. Examples include “nasopharyngeal airways, oropharyngeal airways, laryngeal mask airways, and endotracheal tubes, among others.” These devices may be used in emergencies, during surgery, and in ICUs.
Why can healthcare providers be held liable for airway management injuries and fatalities?
At Crandall & Pera Law, we work with ER doctors, surgeons, pulmonary specialists, and other specialists to show what type of medical care should have been provided, why the medical professional failed to provide competent care, and what harm the failure of care causes patients.
Paramedics, ER doctors, surgeons, and other doctors who perform airway management for patients should:
- Understand when airway management is essential.
- Understand which airway management technique to use.
- Understand the risk factors, such as when the patient’s anatomy or prior medical history may make certain airway management techniques dangerous.
- Be able to perform the airway management procedure competently.
- Monitor their patient during and after the airway management procedure.
- Perform other essential medical care depending on the patient’s condition, the urgency of the need for care, and the availability of the different types of airway management treatments.
What injuries can improper airway management cause patients in Ohio?
Some of the dangers of incompetent airway management care include the following:
- Brain damage
- Coma and/or unconsciousness
- Risk of infection
- Cardiology disorders
- Respiratory disorders
- Damaged nerves
- Death
For survivors, we seek the following damages:
- Medical expenses, including the cost of hospitalizations, surgeries, doctor visits, rehabilitative care, psychological counseling, medications, and assistive devices and technology
- Lost income, including wages, salary, business income, benefits, and long-term disability compensation
- Physical pain and emotional suffering, including every moment of discomfort, agony, worry, and anxiety
- Other damages, including loss of bodily function, inability to enjoy life’s pleasures, and loss of consortium (enjoyment of marital relations)
If a close family member dies, we file wrongful death claims on behalf of the family members. Wrongful death damages include:
- The funeral and burial expenses.
- The loss of financial support your loved one would have provided each family member.
- The loss of guidance, comfort, and society your loved one would have provided each family member.
- The outstanding medical bills of your loved one due to improper airway management care.
- Your loved one’s pain and suffering due to the improper medical care.
Do you have an Ohio failure to preserve airway lawyer near me?
Yes. We meet clients (patients and families) at the following locations:
- Chesterland. Cambridge Square, 8251 Mayfield Rd Suite 24
- Cleveland. 850 Euclid Ave #1122
- Cincinnati (Downtown). 810 Sycamore St.
- Cincinnati (East Side). 4628 Aicholtz Rd.
- Chagrin Falls. 15 1/2 N Franklin St.
If your injuries due to improper airway management prevent you from coming to our office, we will meet you at your home or a nearby healthcare facility. Our lawyers also consult with clients by phone and by using Zoom, FaceTime, and other online video platforms.
Our medical malpractice lawyers can answer all your questions and guide you through each step of the claims process.
Get help from our respected Ohio medical malpractice lawyers today
Improper airway management can cause severe complications and death. At Crandall & Pera Law, we understand how traumatic this type of medical malpractice is. With competent medical care, your loved one would likely be alive and living a fully functioning life. Our Ohio failure to preserve airway lawyers have helped many victims of medical malpractice obtain substantial recoveries. Please call us or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We represent medical malpractice patients and families on a contingency fee basis.