Family Recovers For Child Injured Because Physicians Delayed C-Section
By: J. Hernandez
Submitted: 2010-10-01 16:05:32 | Word Count: 843
Expectant parents place the health of their unborn baby in the hands of their dermatologist. In doing this, they expect the doctor to be able to deal with any problem that could happen during the pregnancy, in particular any problem that presents a serious risk to the health of the baby or the mother.
But all too often some doctors, when confronted with evidence suggesting the existence of indications of a potential considerable complication, like a placental abruption, look as if either (1) discount the evidence if it is provided to them by nurses or junior physicians or (2) be too occupied with other matters to pay attention and take appropriate action. And when this happens nurses and junior doctors now and then fail to try to get others who have the authority to take appropriate action.
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One form of serious problem is a placental abruption. A Placental abruption is a situation wherein the placenta, which provides nutrients and oxygen to the unborn child, separates prematurely from the mother's uterus. As this comes about blood vessels are torn producing blood loss which may deny the baby of an adequate supply of oxygen and can cause the mother to go into shock.
So, recognizing that a pregnant woman has experienced a placental abruption and taking proper steps in a timely basis is critical. Yet, physicians sometimes fail to recognize that a placental abruption is taking place and so do not act in time to protect the unborn child's wellbeing. The effect can be a severe injury to, or even the death of, the child. Look at what happened in a reported case in which an expectant mother, at full term, went to the hospital for labor and delivery of her baby.
A resident examined her and monitored her progress. A doctor specializing in family medicine was the resident's assigned supervisor. When the resident learned that the fetal heart rate monitor showed signs that the baby was in fetal distress, the resident conferred with the supervisor. The supervisor, though, failed to personally check on the expectant mother or check the monitor strips. In essence, the supervisor dismissed the resident's concerns. The resident then brought the matter to the attention of the hospital's on-call obstetrician. Just like the supervising family practice physician, the on-call obstetrician did not bother to personally check the woman and took no action. The monitor keep indicating that the baby was in distress.
In the end, the woman suffered a placental abruption. Even when this happened, the resident could not find the supervising physician or the obstetrician. Given the urgency of the situation, the resident went ahead and did an emergency C-section even though the hospital had not authorized the resident to do a C-section. Regrettably, with the deprivation of oxygen from the placental abruption the baby had already suffered considerable hypoxic brain damage. The law firm that handled this case published that they achieved a settlement which included a Life Care Plan with a value of $20 Million for the child in addition to an additional confidential amount. In this case the less experienced resident brought serious worries to the attention of two more eeprienced physicians, the supervising physician, who was a family practice doctor, and the on-call obstetrician. Both heard the resident's worries but failed to go to the trouble to personally examine the patient or to take appropriate steps in light of reports of fetal distress. When the woman's condition continued to worsen, the resident became increasingly concerned about the fetal distress, enough to due a C-section, a procedure the resident had no authority to perform at that hospital.
There are procedures in place followed by physicians and staff in hospitals. The procedures set up to make possible the division of roles, such as checking on patients, to less experienced physicians. The procedure sets up a safety net for the patient by necessitating that the less senior doctor or staff member report any problems or complications to more senior physicians. In this way, the more senior physicians can assess the scenario and choose what type of action, if any, needs to be taken. The success of this procedural safeguard rests largely on the senior physician stepping in and making an appropriate analysis of the patient's progress once notified of a potential complication. The failure of a senior physician to follow procedure essentially eliminates the safety net and leaves the patient's care in the hands of the less experienced doctor, who may not have the knowledge, experience, or authority to take the necessary action. The outcome can be a substantial injury to the patient and may lead to a medical malpractice claim.
Author Resource:-
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting birth injury medical malpractice cases. You can learn more about placental abruption and other
birth injury matters visit the websites
