Recently, we have seen a number of medical malpractice cases in Ohio arising out of a physician’s failure to protect a patient from consequences of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when a person experiences abnormal pauses in breathing, or abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour, thereby depriving the body of its usual supply of oxygen. Sleep apnea increases the patient’s risk for a number of medical conditions and complications. When a doctor fails to account for sleep apnea in their treatment plan, disastrous results from medical negligence may occur.
Sleep apnea is associated with an ever-increasing list of medical c