Anesthesiology Error Leaves Colonoscopy Patient On Ventilator

Case Overview

This case involves a 55-year-old woman who underwent a colonoscopy secondary to the discovery of polyps. The patient was put under general anesthesia for the procedure. Following the procedure, the patient aspirated and developed respiratory distress syndrome. As a result, she was left on a permanent ventilator. An experienced post-GI anesthesia recovery nurse was sought to review the facts and discuss whether the CRNA deviated from the standard of care.

Questions to the Anesthesiology expert and their responses

Are you currently working as a post GI anesthesia recovery nurse?

I work in all areas of gastroenterology as a post-GI anesthesia recovery nurse.

How would you determine whether or not the standard of care was followed in this case?

My initial thought is to question why a 55-year-old woman needed gastrointestinal anesthesia for a colonoscopy. What were her co-morbidities? Did she aspirate post-extubation, during intubation or at another time? Did she have food in her stomach initially when the procedure started? What was documented about this problem and at what time? Was the unit solely a GI post-anesthesia recovery area or the general post-anesthesia recovery area? When was it first observed that there was a problem and what measures were taken? Who performed the anesthesia administration, the MD or the nurse anesthetist?

About the expert

This qualified expert in Post GI Anesthesia Recovery Nursing obtained her AS in Medical Secretarial Science from Nassau Community College and her BSN in Nursing cum laude from SUNY Buffalo. She is a certified GI Nurse, a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society, and trained in Interventional GI procedures alongside some of the top physicians in the country. She is currently a Clinical GI Nurse at a Top Tier and Major Medical Center where she works in all areas of her 10 bed unit with an average of 60 patients per day.