Nurse Keeps Waiting For Physician To Show Up While Baby Suffers From Fetal Distress

Nurse Keeps Waiting For Physician To Show Up While Baby Suffers From Fetal Distress

A number of problems can happen in the course of a pregnancy. One complication that is particularly serious and requires fast action is fetal distress. Fetal distress commonly arises when the unborn baby's oxygen supply is somehow restricted. Fetal distress is observed by monitoring the unborn baby's heart rate. Under specific circumstances, such as when the heart rate falls below a particular level, urgent action such as an emergency C-section is needed. Below we consider the issue of liability in a published lawsuit involving a delay of approximately two hours in reacting to signs of fetal distress. We also consider the resulting damages and the amount of the settlement.

In this lawsuit an expectant mother who had fallen was being admitted to a hospital to make sure that there was no trauma to her unborn child. The woman had gone through an ultrasound at the hospital so as to check for any harm to her baby and the ultrasound was interpreted as displaying no injuries. The physician indicated he would meet the woman at a second hospital where she was being transferred to have other monitoring which the first hospital was not appropriately set up to perform. When at the second hospital a fetal heart rate monitor was connected to the woman. The labor and delivery nurse at this hospital interpreted the strip as non-reassuring and showing that the unborn baby was in fetal distress. The second hospital and the nurse had been advised that the woman's obstetrician was on his way to that hospital to look after the patient and her unborn child. While evidently having noted that the unborn child was in fetal distress, the nurse nonetheless concluded that she needed to wait for the physician to come instead of taking any measures on her own or informing an on-call doctor.

Over the next two hours the nurse continued postponing notifying a different physician that the unborn child was in fetal distress. It was only after the monitor revealed that the baby's heart rate had taken a sharp fall to alarmingly low levels that she at last advised one of the hospital doctors. This obstetrician conducted an emergency C-section at once and discovered that the explanation for the fetal distress was that the pregnant woman had experienced a placental abruption which had cut off the unborn child's oxygen supply.

But the patient's doctor had gone home rather than going to the hospital as he had indicated he would - basically abandoning his patient and her baby and making him a defendant in the medical malpractice case. Believing the physician was on the way the nurse at the second hospital, who might usually have instantly advised another 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. Even though the medical staff tried resuscitative measures they could not revive the baby. Here the law firm that represented the family reported that the claim settled for $750,000. This matter shows both (1) a doctor's duty to follow up on the care of his patient when he agrees to do so and (2) a nurse's duty to make sure that a doctor is informed instantly if signs of fetal distress are detected.

http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/nurse-keeps-waiting-for-physician-to-show-up-while-baby-suffers-from-fetal-distress-2723619.html

POST COMMENT

Babysitting Jobs: Offbeat Jobs, But Challenging Ones Embroidered Baby Blankets - Customise Your Newborn Items Plan My Baby Review — Do the Methods Work? Concept of Casio Baby G Watches Solid Baby T-Shirts Are the Most Versatile Summer Gear for Your Little Girl The Best Gift for Babies for All Occasions How to do Baby Bonding? No.4 Juicy Couture Queen Couture Baby Fluffy Bag Some Preferable Gifts For Baby Girl Letting My Baby Go Babies Teeth How to determine baby gender Diet For Conceiving a Baby Girl Naturally