Remove Blood Oxygenation Levels Remove General Anesthesia Remove Supervision
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EXTUBATION IS RISKY BUSINESS. WHY THE CONCLUSION OF GENERAL ANESTHESIA CAN BE A CRITICAL EVENT

The Anesthesia Consultant

The most invasive type of airway tube used in anesthesia is called an endotracheal tube, or ET tube. At the onset of general anesthesia anesthesiologists place an ET tube through the mouth, past the larynx (voice box), and into the trachea (windpipe). The blood oxygen level dropped acutely to life-threatening levels.

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FIVE MINUTES. TO AVOID ANOXIC BRAIN INJURY

The Anesthesia Consultant

Some brain cells start dying within five minutes after the oxygen supply disappears, and brain hypoxia can rapidly cause severe brain damage or death. 1,2) In malpractice cases I’ve consulted on, a five-minute window is an accepted duration for low blood oxygen levels to cause permanent brain damage.