Uterine rupture yesterday...

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.

I've been on my own in L&D for almost a year now. Pt. had successfully VBAC'd a few yrs. ago. She was having mild UC's when she came in and was 3 cms so MD just broke her bag and put in an IUPC & IFE. Not on any pit. Baby started having some severe variables about 1 hr. after AROM. Amnioinfusion was started....300 cc's went in with good return. I had just placed a call to the MD because the IUPC didn't seem to be functioning correctly (we are trialing a new one...no one likes it). I walk back it and the patient is in unrelenting pain...abdomen is rock hard. I paged the MD. At 1st he brushed me off. I persisted. MD was there in 6 mins. and she was in the OR 4 mins. later.

I'm still shaking and feel sick to my stomach when I think about it. Mom and baby are doing awesome (I called work twice to check on them last night).

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

YOU **** DID **** GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what a horrible thing to happen to anyone, esp a mom in labor, and a NEW NURSE like you. Just know as a 7 year OB RN (who has only seen ONE rupture in this time)----- I think you did marvelous! WAY TO GO! You advocated for your patient and saved her and her baby's lives in so doing. I hope that doctor realizes how you saved the day.

This is one of those cases where quick actions on the parts of nurses like YOU save lives and YOU DID THIS! My hat is off to you. That mom/baby are doing well due to your quick thinking and actions.

Now, go take a LEISURELY HOT BATH and do something really nice for yourself today. You deserve it!

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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.

Wow... so good to hear things like this. While a horrific experience for Mom and Babe, I'm thrilled to hear it turned out well.

I'm with Deb.. major kudos to you !!! :Melody: :balloons: :Melody:

You DO deserve a celebration ! Good work, truly. THANK YOU. :)

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Specializes in Nurse Manager, Labor and Delivery.
YOU **** DID **** GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what a horrible thing to happen to anyone, esp a mom in labor, and a NEW NURSE like you. Just know as a 7 year OB RN (who has only seen ONE rupture in this time)----- I think you did marvelous! WAY TO GO! You advocated for your patient and saved her and her baby's lives in so doing. I hope that doctor realizes how you saved the day.

This is one of those cases where quick actions on the parts of nurses like YOU save lives and YOU DID THIS! My hat is off to you. That mom/baby are doing well due to your quick thinking and actions.

Now, go take a LEISURELY HOT BATH and do something really nice for yourself today. You deserve it!

I second, third, and fourth that!!!!!!! Be very proud.

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Wow, awesome job! I was so proud of you as I read your post. Be proud of yourself!

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Specializes in NICU.

You did well, knew you had a problem, made a fuss, and got the right response. Congrats to all of you (doc included!). :yeah: It's a team effort getting a mom to the OR when something is going wrong. It's scary when they open up and baby is right there!

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Good for you for persisting with the MD!!! You handled that experience beautifully!

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We could all learn a valuable lesson from your persistence! Keep it up! I bet next time that MD will listen to you the FIRST time!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Excellent job! Thank goodness you behaved persistently with the doctor. :)

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You are truly an outstanding nurse and a really outstanding patient advocate, with amazing critical thinking skills. You saved 2 lives--actually, 3, because you sure saved that skeptical OB physician's license. I sure don't think I was at your level when I was on my own after one year in the OR. I know that I wasn't after working OB for a year.

I have a question, now, about uterine rupture. It's been many, many years (I last worked OB as a corpsman in '73, before we had fetal monitoring or even infusion pumps by which to deliver our Pit) and I can recall seeing Pit get out of hand and thinking there might be an impending uterine rupture that might necessitate an emergency C-section--and preparing for it-- but it (thankfully) never progressed that far once we turned off the Pit.

Is the uterus repairable once it ruptures? I didn't even know the baby would survive. It seems like the situation was very grim back then, and the OR crew would prepare for not just a C-section (expecting a fetal demise,) but for the inevitable abdominal hysterectomy.

As far as I know, docs won't even do VBACS in my area anymore--they sort of fell out of favor here in the late '90s.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

depends on the size of rupture....only small ruptures are reparable and able to carry another pregnancy to term. they WILL repair the rupture if at all possible, yes. the trick is to catch it early and deliver STAT and then repair quickly, before too much blood loss occurs, as you probably know.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.

Thank you all for the kind words. Days like the other day just reinforce to me what a critical care area L&D really is. It also makes me want to choke those who think L&D is "easy work".

What was so awesome, is that the patient left a gift for me. A magnetic picture frame with a pic of the baby. I immediately hung it in my locker. Forever a reminder...

I love this website. Each one of you are wonderful. :1luvu:

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