Parents Sue Physician And Nurse When Their Child Died As 2 Hours Went By Without Any Response To Fet

Parents Sue Physician And Nurse When Their Child Died As 2 Hours Went By Without Any Response To Fet

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As fetal distress is a serious problem in pregnancy that often entails a diminished oxygen supply to the unborn baby. Fetal distress commonly arises after the unborn babys oxygen supply is cut off. Fetal distress is observed by monitoring the unborn child's heart rate. Under certain circumstances, for example when the heart rate drops below a particular level, immediate measures like an emergency C-section is required. Below we consider the issue of liability in a published claim involving a delay of approximately 2 hours in reacting to signs of fetal distress. We also consider the resulting damages and the settlement outcome.

A doctor is informed that his patient, who is pregnant, had been taken to a close by hospital subsequent to having taken a fall. The expectant mother had undergone an ultrasound at the hospital in order to check for any harm to her baby and the ultrasound was viewed as showing no injuries. As the hospital was not equipped with a fetal heart rate monitor she was going to be taken to a different hospital. Her obstetrician was advised that she was being transferred and the obstetrician agreed to meet her at the second hospital.

When at the second hospital a fetal heart rate monitor was connected to the woman. The nurse at this hospital read the strip as non-reassuring and showing that the unborn baby was in fetal distress. The second hospital and the nurse had been informed that the womans obstetrician was heading to that hospital to handle the care of the patient and her unborn baby. Although clearly having observed that the unborn child was in fetal distress, the nurse nevertheless concluded that she needed to wait for the physician to handle the situation as opposed to taking any steps by herself or alerting an on-call physician.

The nurse continued to wait for the obstetrician to show up for two hours. She did nothing until the monitor indicated that the babys heart rate had precipitously dropped to dangerously low levels. It was only then that the labor and delivery nurse finally notified another physician at the hospital of the problem. The moment he was apprised of the situation this obstetrician did not hesitate to do an emergency C-section. On doing the C-section the obstetrician learned that the baby had been deprived of oxygen (which explained the drop in the heart rate) on account of a placental abruption.

The doctor had information that the woman was being sent to the hospital and expected her doctor to meet her there. But, instead of head to the hospital as he claimed he would do, the physician went home. This would not have been a problem if the obstetrician had notified someone at the second hospital of this choice. Believing the physician was in route the nurse, who may routinely have instantly informed another doctor of the fetal distress, a doctor who would never show up.

At birth the newborn was non-responsive. Even though the medical staff tried resuscitative measures they were not able to revive the baby. The law firm that litigated the claim was able to report that they achieved a settlement totaling $750,000 on behalf of the child's parents. As this matter displays, a doctor who agrees to follow up on the care of the patient and does not may be liable and a nurse who does not alert a physician or take other correct action immediately upon observing symptoms of a significant complication in the pregnancy may also be liable.

About the Author:
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting birth injury medical malpractice cases. You can learn more about fetal distress and other types of birth injuries including group b streptococcus matters by visiting the websites



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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