Nurse Keeps Waiting For Obstetrician To Show Up Even Though Baby In Fetal Distress

Various difficulties can happen in the course of a pregnancy. A problem that is extremely significant and demands quick action is fetal distress. Thus, when fetal distress is observed steps must be taken without delay to circumvent harm to the child. Below we analyze a published medical malpractice claim where there was a lapse of approximately 2 hours.

A doctor is notified that his patient, a pregnant woman, was transported to a close by hospital subsequent to having taken a fall. An ultrasound was performed and showed no injury to the baby. The woman was still concerned that something was not right and requested a different test. Since the hospital was not equipped with a fetal heart rate monitor she was going to be transported to a second hospital. Her physician was advised that she was being transported and the physician agreed to go to the second hospital.

After being transported to the second hospital, the expectant mother was set up with a fetal heart rate monitor which was read by the labor and delivery nurse as indicating that the baby was in fetal distress. Given that the woman's doctor had indicated he would meet his patient there, the nurse considered that the right course of action would be to hold out for the obstetrician to arrive, even as she observed that the fetal distress was worsening.

The nurse kept waiting for the doctor to show up for two hours. She kept waiting until the monitor indicated that the baby's heart rate had had dropped to a critically low level. It was only then that the labor and delivery nurse finally notified another doctor at the hospital of the circumstances. As soon as he was apprised of the circumstances this physician did not wait to perform an emergency C-section.

On performing the procedure the doctor discovered that the baby had been deprived of oxygen (which explained the drop in the heart rate) because of a placental abruption. The obstetrician had information that the patient was being transported to the second hospital and expected her physician to meet her there. But, instead of head to the hospital as he said he would do, the obstetrician went home. This would not have been a problem if the obstetrician had notified the nurse at the second hospital of this choice. Believing the doctor was in route the nurse, who might routinely have instantly informed a different doctor of the fetal distress, did nothing but continue to wait for a doctor who would never show up.

At birth the baby was non-responsive. Despite the fact that the medical staff attempted resuscitative measures they could not revive the baby. The law firm that litigated the lawsuit was able to state that they accomplished a settlement in the amount of $750,000 on behalf of the child's mother and father. As this matter demonstrates, a physician who agrees to follow up on the care of the patient and does not might be liable for malpractice and a nurse who does not alert a physician or take other correct measures right away upon noting signs of a major problem in the pregnancy may also be liable.