Anaesthesia fear gives parents the jitters

BANGALORE: Six-year-old Nidhi (name changed) was to undergo a root-canal procedure by a Bangalore dentist on March 23. Minutes before the procedure, child’s mother Meera told the dentist he should do the procedure without administering local anaesthesia.
She was scared as she had read about two youngsters dying of alleged overdose of anaesthesia in the city since early February.“After reading reports (about those two incidents), I didn’t want to take any chance. The doctor convinced me about the need to administer anaesthesia to my daughter. Thankfully, nothing happened. But I’m still scared,” says Meera.
Meera’s is not an isolated case. Parents of several children scheduled to undergo surgical procedures are getting second thoughts about anaesthesia administration. Three-year-old Shirish Lokesh died of an alleged overdose of anaesthesia during a dental procedure in HSR Layout on February 6 and 16-year-old Abhishek Ramesh died in similar circumstances on March 20.
However, anaesthetists offered reassurance, saying no one must get scared due to one or two stray cases.
Dr Muruli Chakravarthy, chief anaesthetist, Fortis Hospitals, said: “Administering anaesthesia is like air travel. There are many uncertainties in travelling by air, yet it’s most preferred due to its reliability and consistence. Similarly, administering anaesthesia is reliable when performed by experts and every protocol is followed. Mishaps do not occur every day. One must make it sure the patient goes to a good hospital with experts, including anaesthetists.”
But parents are not convinced. Arjun Jagannathan, a software professional, was so scared when his four-year-old son was stretchered into the operation theatre for a hernia surgery that he and his wife insisted they wanted to be let inside. The hospital denied their request, citing protocol.
“We were sceptical about anaesthesia and surgery. After the doctors explained things to us, we were relieved. My son, too, was told about the procedure though we’re not sure how much of it he understood. He was made comfortable about the process and he’s fine now,” said Arjun.
“Patients — and especially parents — have become more curious about anaesthesia due to the recent deaths. It’s very important for patients to know that undergoing surgery, of which administering anaesthesia is the most important part, is like crossing the road. Even if you cross the road very carefully, there’s a chance you’ll meet with an accident, not because of your fault, but because someone drunk was driving. Surgery is teamwork and one must not blame only the anaesthetist until an investigation proves a patient died due to an overdose of anesthesia,” said Dr Jayashree Simha, head of the department and consultant, anaesthesiologist, Manipal Hospitals.