Orillia nurse found responsible in $10million suit

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

I don't know all the details. I wonder if anyone has information so we can all learn from it.

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2833581&

In my experience, even if twins are both head down, when the first is born, the second quite often flips to be breech. At my hospital, standard procedure for a twin mom is to get an epidural (turning it on is optional) and then deliver lady partslly in the OR in case it becomes an emergency C/S.

It is far safer to deliver a breech baby than it is to wait 61 minutes to deliver a second baby. In the past breech babies were often delivered lady partslly. The rate of complications is less than 10%, but that's high enough to warrant a planned C/S.

Or, give the mom a general anesthesia and plan to ventilate and narcan the baby when born. A general doesn't hurt the baby, just prevents spontaneous breathing.

The doctor may not have been at fault for the situation, but he/she could have made decisions that would have prevented the bad outcome.

I'm kinda surprised the woman's body didn't deliver the baby on it's own. She was fully dilated, and without an epidural, she would have had a really strong urge to push. Did they give her something to stop labor? Or was there more going on than just breech?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Or, give the mom a general anesthesia and plan to ventilate and narcan the baby when born. A general doesn't hurt the baby, just prevents spontaneous breathing.

Reading the article it doesn't sound like there was anyone around to do any kind of anesthesia at all including a General.

General anesthesia during labor is not a benign act it carries a 10-16X greater risk of mortality than does a spinal or epidural.

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General anesthesia during labor is not a benign act it carries a 10-16X greater risk of mortality than does a spinal or epidural.

yes, but this was an emergency - getting the baby out should have been the priority.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
yes, but this was an emergency - getting the baby out should have been the priority.

Agree, but it still sounds like there wasn't an anesthesia provider even around.....

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Agree, but it still sounds like there wasn't an anesthesia provider even around.....

which is really scary...and I guess, why the hospital was found partly at fault.

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