Poss One For A Surgeon Or Similar Here?- Mix Up With Anaesthetic Lines?

[joko]

Had surgery yesterday and after i woke the anaesthetist told me there had been a bit of a mistake - i was groggy so not sure exactly but something like the 2 tubes had been mixed up and the substances started to clump up.
they spotted it straight away and fixed it.
something like they were supposed change or empty the lines before adding the next lot, but didnt.

can anyone tell me what this means?

Im not angry etc, and not looking to cause any trouble - im totally fine and they were very nice and apologetic etc

im just curious what happened and what could have gone wrong if they hadnt spotted it fast enough

thanks

[ladyalex]

I think you need to ask to speak to the anaesthetist again to get clear information as to exactly what happened.

Very glad you feel OK now.

[slaney]

Some drugs used in anaesthesia are incompatible, and cause precipitation or clumping in the iv line if given together or in sequence without flushing between drugs.
Thiopental is commonly given in anaesthesia and is in an alkaline solution. If a muscle relaxant, commonly acidic, is given afterwards without flushing, the thiopental can precipitate out of solution blocking the tube. Usually no harm is done if this is quickly spotted, and the worst thing that can happen is that the
cannula has to be removed and resited.
It could of course have been another combination of drugs - just a guess on my part.

[Peter Pedant]

// can anyone tell me what this means? //

yes the anaesthetist
and probably no one else

ask for them to come back and have an interview with you
it wont be a surprise to them

and explain again

and compose a list of questions
what mistake ? - what drug ? what line? what clump ?
which two tubes ?

ask for a copy of the anaesthetic sheet and operation record

and then tell us the answer

oh and ask the anaesthetist if a critical incident sheet was made out and can you have a copy? You need to do this to the anaesthetist and not some passing nurse/ ward clerk/ porter/ HCA and so on and so on

[joko]

thanks all. im going back on tuesday, so i will mention it then.
i assume the reason he told me straight away was because of some rule that he has to disclose.

i will update when i know more.

as i say, just curious really - no harm done but it sounds kind of worrying - whether a clot could have got into my bloodstream etc, or whether theyre not proper clots - just appear that way in the liquid, but would disippate immediately once inside and so wouldnt have done any harm etc.
you would think if there was any risk, they'd be meticulous and follow a very set procedure of changing the lines etc.