Deadly Epidural

Published

Specializes in Med/Surg.

WOW.....:angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

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I think the saddest part is that this woman and her family probably had no idea that there was this kind of risk involved with an epidural. I have met very few people who had any idea of the potential problems associated with an epidural.

Granted, the risks are small and there's a good chance she would have chosen to have an epidural anyway, but it seems there is a lack of informed consent in so many areas in OB.

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Specializes in Tele, Acute.

At 10pm that night julie woke up and c/o a headache and said her eyes felt as if they were swelling!!!!!!!!!

The nurse gave Percocet. Why did they not call the MD? Does anyone have a problem with this. What about an allergic reaction? Would that have made a difference if it was treated then?

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I couldnt agree more, and I would have called my OB from the hospital room phone.

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*shudder*

I've alwayed leaned towards having a drug-free birth and this story sealed it for me. Poor family!!

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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
*shudder*

I've alwayed leaned towards having a drug-free birth and this story sealed it for me. Poor family!!

Too, too sad. :o Heartbreaking.

I'm with you.. not that I'll ever have any more kiddos.. but with my first, they gave me an epi even though I hadn't wanted it and told them up front. The first epi numbed me from the tops of my legs down... a lot of good that would do me. So they then did another... this time they got it too high and I nearly went into respiratory arrest.. they were smacking me around in the face to wake me up and breathe. :madface:

Lesson learned... never again fool with that stuff. Pain will be forgotten in a day or two...but better that than end up dead before you ever get to lay eyes on your newborn.

My second, I had au natural... all the way, Baby ! Had NOTHING, and I do mean NOTHING at all with, during, and after that birth. Felt like I was passing a watermelon through my rectum, but I grinned through the pain and kept on bearing. Wouldn't have done it any other way. And yes, Adam, too, was a nine pounder... both of mine were. :stone

What a preventable tragedy.. on so many fronts! But first and foremost, I cannot believe the disconnection of the lines was not metioned in the suit !!!

That was my very first thought as well.

Not that there weren't still other opportunities to intervene and prevent the tragic ending.

God, this makes me sick.

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Specializes in Ortho/Neuro.
Tell me about it.

I am terrified of epidurals. I'm sure someday when I'm in full-blown labor, I'll forget my fears and beg for one. But at this point in my life, it is not on my imaginary birth plan. I've had many kidney stones - pain is something I've learned to deal with. I know it's a different kind of pain, but the thought of someone poking a huge needle into my back an inducing paralysis is NOT something that interests me in the least.

I'm probably being naive about the pain of childbirth.

But women have given birth without them for generations. I hope to be one of them!

When I was in labor I had three of them and none of them worked. The first one actually "went up" on me instead of into my abdomen it went into my chest. The only thing I can remember was thinking that I wasn't breathing, then having the nurses rush in and put me on an O2 mask. The other ones just didn't work and I had to have a c-section with general anesthesia. I saw this story on Dateline last night and was just disturbed by the lack of care this family received.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
Tell me about it.

I am terrified of epidurals. I'm sure someday when I'm in full-blown labor, I'll forget my fears and beg for one. But at this point in my life, it is not on my imaginary birth plan. I've had many kidney stones - pain is something I've learned to deal with. I know it's a different kind of pain, but the thought of someone poking a huge needle into my back an inducing paralysis is NOT something that interests me in the least.

I'm probably being naive about the pain of childbirth.

But women have given birth without them for generations. I hope to be one of them!

I feel the same way. I hate needles, and did not want one in my back. I've had three kids without any medication. It can be done. I had some pain, but I felt it was bearable pain. I know not everyone agrees that labor pain is bearable, but for me it was. I used breathing techiniques and I got through it. I bet you can too.

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

Just as much of a problem though - abx were ordered and not given. The nursing staff was not being responsive to Julie's situation. We're supposed to be pt. advocates and no one was advocating for her.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

this kind of story willl become more prevalant until women take more charge of their bodies. it seems that we have become such a society of grown children that having a baby without a garden hose in your back is going the way of bell-bottom pants. the delivery of babies has become so unnaturalized and medically driven that women have become their own worst enemies. i have two more stories like this among my friends - without the tragic end but one of them has definite short term memory problems. i don't think the gyn's want to be bothered by women in pain so they'll put up with anything to get them quiet. caveat emptor.

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Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.
"Julie LeMoult's death was not the result of a hospital-acquired infection or illness nor any specific action or lack of action on the part of Sibley Hospital."

:madface: How awful for this new father to have to go through this and then the hospital is trying to completely deny any responsibility for this woman's death.

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The epidural, the second one, was lying in the bed and the anesthesiologist just hooked it back up. It was contaminated-and had an open end to the patient. That seems like the most likely source to me. What a shame.

I thought so too.

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