What Are the Fatal Side Effects of Anesthesia? Bengaluru Surgeon Case Raises Questions

At least six months after his wife died, a Bengaluru doctor has been arrested for her alleged murder. Police say Dr Mahendra Reddy, a general surgeon, overdosed Dr Kruthika with an anesthetic drug at their

home in April. According to news reports, Kruthika, a dermatologist, reportedly fell ill and was rushed to a nearby hospital by Mahendra, where she was declared dead. The couple got married in May last year and were both doctors at Victoria Hospital. Police said during inspection, they found key evidence, which included a cannula set, injection tube, and other medical items, which were later handed over to investigators for forensic analysis, which later confirmed the presence of Propofol - a powerful anesthetic drug- in Kruthika’s organs, indicating a criminal act. "Evidence collected till now points at the role of the husband in the crime, as he was the person who brought her to the hospital initially and didn't mention anything that could have gone wrong. He claimed she was not in good health and was undergoing treatment. Now we have learnt that she was injected with some sedatives, which shows there was a malicious intention; therefore, this needs to be investigated," Seemanth Kumar Singh, Bengaluru Police Commissioner, told reporters.

What is anesthesia?

Anesthesia is the use of medications, known as anesthetics, that keep you from feeling pain during procedures or surgery. Anesthetics temporarily block sensory signals from nerves at the site of the procedure to the centers in your brain. Doctors say different types of anesthesia work in different ways – as some medications numb certain parts of your body, others can affect your brain so you can sleep through more invasive surgical procedures.

What happens when you are given anesthesia?

During the anesthesia procedure, the doctor:

• Administers one or more types of anesthesia. They may also give you anti-nausea medications.
• Monitors vital signs, which include blood pressure, oxygen level, your pulse, and heart rate
• Identifies and manages issues like an allergic reaction or a change in vital signs
• Provides guidelines for managing pain after surgery

What are the side effects of anesthesia?

Every year, millions of people across the world receive anesthesia while undergoing medical procedures. However, anesthesia does carry a lot of risk as well, a few of which include:

Anesthetic awareness

For unknown reasons, about one out of every 1,000 people who receive general anesthesia experience awareness during a procedure.

Collapsed lung

Also known as atelectasis, it happens due to a breathing tube. This rare condition occurs when air sacs in the lungs deflate or fill with fluid.

Malignant hyperthermia

Those who have malignant hyperthermia experience a dangerous reaction to anesthesia, which causes high fever and muscle contractions during surgery.

Nerve damage

Even though it is rare, a few people may experience nerve damage that leads to temporary or permanent neuropathic pain or numbness

Delirium

Many older people are prone to postoperative delirium, which causes confusion that comes and goes for about a week.

Who is at risk of side effects?

A few factors that make it super risky to receive anesthesia include:

• Advanced age
• Diabetes or kidney disease
• A family history of malignant hyperthermia
• Heart disease and high blood pressure
• Lung diseases like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Obesity and being overweight
• Seizures
• Sleep apnea
• Smoking