The Ultimate Nightmare !

It is a thought that goes through the mind of many people just prior to presenting at hospital for an operation.  That magical  " What if ? " that conjours up all sorts of diabolical mishaps that may go wrong during the procedure.

A thirty-four year old man had just that happen when he went under the knife to have his Tonsils removed.  He found himself awake and experiencing the cuts of the scalpel, but unable to communicate because he had first been given a neuromuscular block as the first part of the anaesthetic.    The terror caused him to twitch and his blood pressure elevated, causing the surgical staff to check for a cause.

It seems that the machine tasked with delivering ongoing sedation - was simply not switched on at the power point.   The anaesthetist was multi tasking and admitted that he had also been checking messages on his mobile phone. He was found guilty of unprofessional conduct and ordered to complete a day long course of anaesthesia safety.

Unfortunately this professional had a history of similar incidents.  On one occasion he had given the wrong blood to a patient.  In another he had fallen asleep on the job - and it emerged that he had once botched a caesarean procedure.

It is a fact of life that in all professions the range of skills of those that provide services curves in a wide arc from the brilliant - to the barely competent.   When we need a motor mechanic to fix our car there are people who enjoy our trust - and others we would employ only as a last resort.  The medical profession has had it's share of such incompetents and many have left a trail of death and misery in their wake.

One of the problems is the collegiate nature of medicine.  When criticism emerges, there is a tendency for the profession to close ranks and protect a colleague who falls short on standards.  This is critical when it involves letters of reccomendation to support an application for a senior medical post.   One such doctor facing criminal charges got the job because he had glowing testimonials from elevated colleagues, but when questioned the writers admitted that they had never met this man and knew nothing about him.   It was simply etiquette within the profession to provide a positive response when asked for a testimonial.

Patients are generally safe when they need to undergo major surgery.  Mishaps seem more likely when the procedure is quick and common and a host of similar operations are scheduled for the same day, often involving anaesthesia that merely dulls perception rather than the need for a deep sleep.  There is the lulling " routine " nature of this type of work that often leads to procedures not being closely followed.

Fortunately, we now live in the " information age " !   When booking for surgery of any nature the patient would be wise to require the name of all and every professional who will be tasked with providing the service.   Then running those names through Google will reveal if any dark incidents are lurking in that persons history !