Researchers examined a total of 607 claims closed between 2007 and 2012.
The study found that the most frequent anesthesia-related injuries reported were:
• Teeth damage — 20.8 percent of the anesthesia medical malpractice claims
• Death — 18.3 percent
• Nerve damage — 13.5 percent
• Organ damage — 12.7 percent
• Pain — 10.9 percent
• Cardiopulmonary arrest — 10.7 percent
Also, obesity was most frequently identified as a contributing factor leading to a claim. Injury-to-claim rates were highest in hospitals with fewer than 100 beds, while ambulatory surgery centers had the lowest death-to-claim rate.
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