Can an intubation or anesthesia error during surgery result in coma? Ohio medical malpractice attorney, Christopher Mellino says yes. When a loved one's surgery results in a permanent or persistent vegetative state, count on Mellino Robenalt's in-depth knowledge of medical malpractice to prove that negligence was to blame.

Ohio brain injury lawyer, Christopher Mellino devotes his practice to fighting for the victims of medical malpractice. Brain injury patients deserve expert care, specialized rehabilitation, and lifelong disease management, all of which can be extremely costly for their families to cover. Therefore, Chris stops at nothing to obtain the monetary benefits that will ensure a patient’s chances of recovery.

One of the most devastating cases an Ohio medical malpractice attorney can take on is one where a medical error caused a patient to slip into a coma or permanent or persistent vegetative state. This condition can be the result of various negligent actions on behalf of a medical staff, including improper intubation, an incorrect dose of anesthesia, and improper monitoring of a patient’s vitals during surgery. Coma cases can force families to make sudden and extremely difficult decisions on behalf of their loved one during a time when legal help is also necessary.

An Ohio brain injury lawyer at Mellino Robenalt LLC can be an advocate for patients who suffer severe brain injuries during surgery such as an anoxic brain injury, which occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen (please note that the brain’s cells begin to die after only four seconds of oxygen deprivation).

Families who suspect that a doctor, hospital, or other medical professional caused their loved one’s brain injury and resulting persistent vegetative state are urged to seek legal advice and exercise their right to seek financial assistance for the lifelong medical care they are going to need in the early months of their recovery and well into the future.

It is important to understand that a coma or permanent vegetative state caused by medical negligence is not a common event. The range and value of damages in such malpractice cases are very high, and therefore, highly contested. Ohio medical malpractice attorney, Chris Mellino, can present a compelling case to insurance company, and the court, if necessary.

Five Medical Events that Can Cause Permanent Vegetative State

Brain damage can occur for a number of reasons, and a coma or persistent vegetative state may be the outcome for some medical patients who suffer undue injury during surgery. The main causes of brain injury during surgery are:

• Vascular pressure that causes intracranial hemorrhaging (bleeding or clots) or stroke. A medical patient can suffer a stroke when blood pressure is not monitored and managed during surgery. A stroke can also occur when a patient is not properly treated for a blood clot in the brain.

• Dangerously low blood pressure. Another case in which mismanagement of a patient under anesthesia may result in a dangerous drop in blood pressure. This may also occur due to severe blood loss from a surgical procedure.

• Hypoxic ischemic injury — brain injury as a result of oxygen deprivation. This type of brain trauma may occur during surgery, such as if an anesthesiologist fails to respond promptly to a cardiac arrest during the procedure.

• Lack of oxygen supply to the brain for an extended period, such as during a cardio-respiratory arrest. A patient may have a case of medical malpractice if his or her brain did not receive enough oxygen because a medical professional failed to diagnose or respond promptly to a cardiac episode, i.e., heart attack.

• Seizures from epilepsy. A patient with a history of epilepsy is often at higher risk for a seizure during surgery and failure to administer treatment in a timely manner can result in a coma. Should a patient have suffered a seizure during surgery, they must be carefully monitored during the postictal stage — the altered state of consciousness a person enters after a seizure and before returning to a normal state of consciousness — of recovery. Any abnormalities in the patient’s vision, behavior, sodium levels, magnesium, or calcium have to be addressed immediately to avoid risk of coma.

• Infections. Failure to address any signs of central nervous system infection, such as meningitis or encephalitis, before surgery may progress not only to severe infection, but may also result in a comatose or vegetative state.

As indicated in the list above, anesthesia errors aren’t the only cause of brain injuries and vegetative state comas; these conditions can result from a missed diagnosis or failure to respond/treat a cardiac episode. Any form of medical negligence that causes a patient to fall into a coma or vegetative state may be grounds for a medical malpractice claim – and Christopher Mellino, Ohio medical malpractice attorney, can help you pursue such a claim.

When a Loved One is in a Persistent Vegetative State Coma Due to Malpractice

There are three stages of health a medical patient can be in when he or she has suffered serious brain damage from medical malpractice: coma, persistent vegetative state, and permanent vegetative state. The state of responsiveness may be a deciding factor in whether a family will need an Ohio brain injury lawyer or a wrongful death attorney in Ohio.

An individual may fall into a coma as the result of a non-traumatic brain injury. In cases of medical malpractice, this would be instances where the brain was deprived of oxygen or the patient’s blood pressure was not properly regulated. A coma is caused by damage to the reticular activating system (RAS) — the part of the brain that controls sleep and wakefulness and making transitions between the two states. When in a coma, the patient will experience a loss of consciousness and inability to respond to stimuli.

A coma can last for weeks and will result either in awakening and recovery, death, or progression into a persistent vegetative state. When a patient does recover from a coma, they will typically need long-term care to restore muscle function due to weeks of immobility. Cognitive and speech therapy may be necessary to regain diminished brain function, and there may be permanent brain damage due to the trauma.

A persistent vegetative state is when the patient is no longer considered to be in a coma, but is still unresponsive. While the individual may appear to be awake, he or she can no longer think, reason, communicate, and perform other basic cognitive functions. At this point, the higher levels of the brain – the precuneus and adjacent posterior cingulate cortex — are no longer functional. This leaves the patient unable to move, communicate or care for themselves, relying on caregivers for all of their daily needs such as feeding and going to the bathroom.

Patients in a persistent vegetative state may appear to respond to stimuli and sometimes exhibit reactions such as smiling, coughing, or slight movements of the legs and arms. These reactions can often be mistaken as recovery, but in a true case of persistent vegetative state, they may be automatic behaviors that the thinking part of the brain did not process.

When the persistent vegetative state continues for several months, the patient’s diagnosis may be reclassified as being in a permanent vegetative state. This means the individual has been in a persistent vegetative state for more than six months as the result of non-traumatic brain damage such as oxygen depravation during surgery or 12 months as the result of traumatic brain damage such as a head injury from a car accident.

An Ohio brain injury lawyer may tell you that time is an important factor in determining the type of case you have and the current and future considerations if you pursue a medical malpractice case.

Working With an Ohio Medical Malpractice Attorney for Your Loved One’s Future

Diagnosing a comatose state and determining the long-term prognosis of the patient is a critical step in pursuing a medical malpractice claim. An Ohio brain injury lawyer can help the family assess what medical evidence is needed to prove the cause and effect of the damage, and determine their next steps when filing a medical malpractice claim.

When medical negligence is confirmed, Ohio medical malpractice attorney, Chris Mellino will get to the real purpose of the lawsuit – seeking justice for the patient. Depending on the state of the patient and the prognosis for recovery, a family may seek a claim for compensation for long-term damages and suffering or a wrongful death claim.

When it is determined that a loved one has no chance of recovery from the permanent vegetative state, a wrongful death attorney in our Ohio office can help. In this case, hospice may be the next step, which will inflict additional financial and emotional distress upon a family.

These damages, both monetary and emotional, are the main reason families seek to file medical malpractice or wrongful death claims. The second purpose is to assess punitive damages and actions against the negligent medical professional who caused the coma or vegetative state. A typical medical malpractice settlement compensates the victim for financial losses, emotional trauma and assesses the potential for punitive damages against the liable parties.

When you believe medical negligence caused your loved one to fall into a comatose or vegetative state, your first step should be to contact an Ohio medical malpractice attorney. From there, you can work with expert witnesses who can provide testimony for the case.

An Ohio medical malpractice attorney or wrongful death attorney in Ohio at Mellino Robenalt LLC will work diligently to help you pursue the compensation necessary to address your family’s needs and rights adequately. Contact our offices through email or call us today at (440) 333-3800 to schedule a confidential consultation with an Ohio medical malpractice attorney.