potentially dangerous postpartum situation

Published

I have had an "interesting" postpartum inpatient experience. I'm going to be writing to the director of the floor among others because I feel some of my nurses choices could potentially be fatal in other situations. I was about 2 hours postpartum, and I told my nurse that I was feeling very confused, I was slurring my words, falling asleep mid sentence, and didn't remember some very basic personal information that she asked me. Despite this, she never assessed me. I asked her to take my blood pressure and she agreed, yet She proceeded to assess/ work with the sleeping newborn for another 15 min. I ended up having a fairly ridiculous panic attack like fit screaming at the top of my lungs and crying uncontrollably, which brought in about 6 nurses. At this point, no blood pressure, no blood sugar, no neuro neurocheck. Afterwords I felt fine, but did instruct my husband on how to call a rapid if something like that were to happen again.

I feel that this could have been a major safety issue. Can you all tell me if I am blowing this out of proportion or not?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I guess I would need to hear your postpartum nurse's account of the situation. Were you on any post-op narcotics? Are you certain that you are remembering everything correctly? After all, you were confused & falling asleep mid-sentence, by your own account. How did your husband react to this situation? To be honest, your postpartum sleepiness & confusion sound pretty normal to me after giving birth (if my ancient memory serves me).

As I'm sure you're aware, even sleeping 2-hour-old newborns need assessment so I cannot fault the nurse for directing her attention to your baby.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I'm sorry this happened to you. We cannot speculate or comment on the care you received. My best recommendation is discuss this with your OB provider.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

And/Or write your concerns to the hospital

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree with klone talk to your ob first, they can explain if the symptoms were possibly related to autonomic nervous activity and if so, what action does the ob want the nurse to take when patients report symptoms.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I tend to give colleagues the benefit of the doubt when I'm a patient. I wouldn't be one to criticize unless the issue was very serious and I was very sure ...and even then, I think I'd do it graciously.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I feel that this could have been a major safety issue. Can you all tell me if I am blowing this out of proportion or not?

You have described a self-limiting situation that resolved without medical intervention. Afterward you instructed your husband to call a rapid response for such a situation.

Speak with the facility's representatives if you would like, although I would consider the situation carefully and make sure your perspective of a situation that did not require any intervention is truly a situation in which someone did something terribly wrong.

Otherwise, I suggest enjoying your newborn. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.

If you had not received any opiates or other potentially altering medications then that might indicate further investigation, otherwise what you describe is not unusual after receiving narcotics and does not indicate the need for a rapid response or other emergent assessment.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The epidural bag emptied during my labor, so at the time this happened, I had been off of it for about 4 hours. It was just so concerning to me because I did loose a lot of blood during my delivery, and the nurse that I was transferred to never took my blood pressure, and when someone tells you they don't remember their birthday, I think it warrants assessment.

While my episode was self limiting, it just seems like a potentially dangerous situation in the event it isn't a self limiting emergency.

It's also worth noting that I did get the feeling she was either a new nurse or new to the unit. My intention is not to get her in trouble, but help identity safety concerns.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Even though it was 4 hours, I've seen moms "crash" after the fact, because your pain is no longer "eating" all the pain med. When you are in extreme pain, ie childbirth, it stimulates you beyond the ability of the pain meds to sedate you; once you aren't in pain it can all hit you at once.

Rapid response? no, spouses don't get to call them. You had an Airway, you were Breathing, you were Circulating (awake and talking even if feeling confused). My advice would be to let it go. {{{hugs}}}

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.
The epidural bag emptied during my labor, so at the time this happened, I had been off of it for about 4 hours. It was just so concerning to me because I did loose a lot of blood during my delivery, and the nurse that I was transferred to never took my blood pressure, and when someone tells you they don't remember their birthday, I think it warrants assessment.

While my episode was self limiting, it just seems like a potentially dangerous situation in the event it isn't a self limiting emergency.

It's also worth noting that I did get the feeling she was either a new nurse or new to the unit. My intention is not to get her in trouble, but help identity safety concerns.

Not having been there I can't really speak to the nurse's actions or inaction, although by your own description your mentation was altered, so I'm not sure we can say for sure nobody ever took your vitals.

In general though, altered mentation after narcotics by itself does not indicate a life threatening condition, even though an alteration of mentation can be very concerning for the person experiencing it which can cause it to be interpreted as something life threatening.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Even though it was 4 hours, I've seen moms "crash" after the fact, because your pain is no longer "eating" all the pain med. When you are in extreme pain, ie childbirth, it stimulates you beyond the ability of the pain meds to sedate you; once you aren't in pain it can all hit you at once.

Rapid response? no, spouses don't get to call them. You had an Airway, you were Breathing, you were Circulating (awake and talking even if feeling confused). My advice would be to let it go. {{{hugs}}}

At my hospital, anybody can call a rapid. Including family.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion