Published
The "boots" are SCD's. It is pretty standard practice to use SCD's on post-op c-sections these days to prevent this type of thing. Most hospitals put them on when the patient is on the OR table and they stay with them until the patient gets up out of bed. The earlier you can get the moms up and ambulating again after surgery greatly reduces the risk of post-op complications including DVT's and atelectasis. Patients often don't understand why we're anxious to kick them out of that bed the morning after their c-section but it's for their own good. Of course if mom has an underlying undiagnosed cardiac problem, this can lead to unforseen complications. Seen it happen.
The key here is her not being gotten OOB promptly, certainly within 8 hours or whenever her anesthetic (spinal?) wore off and she could move again. Lawsuit time.
Can't help but wonder, of course, how many patients her nurse and aide had, or just exactly what the reason was for not getting her up.
Crying shame.
What shocked me the most was the mom who died, she had been lying in bed for 30hrs post op!!
If that's not shocking enough, her friend (and fellow teacher at a local elementary school) had a c-section 15 days later at the SAME hospital and died after bleeding out. NJ is a horrible place to give birth. CA made news with a maternal death rate of 16.9/100,000 birth. NJ's maternal death rate is 21/100,000.
ETA: link to NJ story: http://cbs3.com/topstories/Woodbury.Avon.Elementary.2.308949.html
the hospital i work at uses ted hose and the scds. There is one dr that writes an order that the pt can not get up unti 24 hours after surgery. Most it is our choice to get them up between 12 and 24 hours. You have to also remember that they could of lost a lot of blood during surgery and if you get them up after 8 hours they are going to be dizzy and faint on you.
TXcatcher
372 Posts
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/changing-life-preventing-maternal-mortality/story?id=9914009&page=1
This news story brought to light increasing maternal deaths following childbirth, including many following c-sections. I thought you might find it interesting and maybe even helpful. While it doesn't always shock me, I'm still sometimes shocked at how many women undergo c-sections!
Has anyone seen the boots used? It seems like something patients may not normally be informed about...