We had an OB patient die today

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yesterday i was on l&d today when we got a call from postpartum that one of the patients who had delivered earlier had an extremely low bp. i went over after our resident, thinking pp hemorrhage, and that i would help bring the pt back to our recovery room. she was unresponsive, drooling, pupils fixed. we put a pulse ox on; it was 72%. pulse was irregular. the she just flatlined. the resident froze. i said "start cpr". she just froze, so i started chest compressions and yelled "call a code". after about a minute, we got a heart rate, but she never breathed again. it was determined that she had a massive undiagnosed brain tumor that either herniated or bled when she started pushing. she had complained of a headache, but lots of women do.

she has other children and a husband besides her newborn. they took her off life support edited and she died.

this is the first adult i've ever done chest compressions on. i am very sad about all this.

please keep this family in your prayers. her initials are edited

lisa :crying2:

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I'm so sorry. How heartbreaking :crying2: Did your unit have a debriefing today when the patient was removed from life support?

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Specializes in all things maternity.

Lisa,

So sorry to hear about this and I will be keeping her family in my thoughts and prayers. I will also keep you in those same prayers. What a awful thing to happen.

In His Grace,

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i am so sorry for you, and for the family. working in ob we always think it is such a happy time, and it usually is. but when it's bad, it's really bad. this is such a horrible tragedy. i have 3 young boys, and can not imagine how my husband would get through this, and my boys. wow, this is just so, so sad. i can't imagine how you must feel. i will keep edited for pt. privacy , and her family in my prayers. i am just so sorry.

yesterday i was on l&d ___when we got a call from postpartum that one of the patients who had delivered about ___ had an extremely low bp. i went over after our resident, thinking pp hemorrhage, and that i would help bring the pt back to our recovery room. she was unresponsive, drooling, pupils fixed. we put a pulse ox on; it was 72%. pulse was irregular. the she just flatlined. the resident froze. i said "start cpr". she just froze, so i started chest compressions and yelled "call a code". after about a minute, we got a heart rate, but she never breathed again. it was determined that she had a massive undiagnosed brain tumor that either herniated or bled when she started pushing. she had complained of a headache, but lots of women do.

she has other children and a husband besides her newborn. they took her off life support and she died.

this is the first adult i've ever done chest compressions on. i am very sad about all this.

please keep this family in your prayers. her initials are _____

lisa :crying2:

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My sympathies to the pt's family and to you. However, you included a whole lot of into in your post- town you live in, date of death, family info and even pt initials!

Maybe you should go back and delete some of the identifying info in your post, for pt confidentiality.

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My heart goes out to you today, how sad for everyone!

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I know how you're feeling. We lost a pt a couple months ago. There was no warning. She was fine, then she wasn't. :o She had only been at the hospital for about an hour when we called the code, so we didn't really have time to think about what might have happened at the time. They say now it was an amniotic fluid embolism. Knowing the cause, as if we could justify it, doesn't make it any easier.

With your pt, knowing that with her condition, and that it could have happened anywhere, I'm sure doesn't make her loss any easier to accept. Hoping that you and your co workers take time review your own emotions.

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RDADNR : Your duty to your patient is not over====the residents actions (non action) must be reported; maybe there was nothing that could have been done in this occasion but the next time she may freeze when there is no one to pick up the slack and it WILL be the loss of a patient who could have been saved. this profession is not for everyone and mayhbe its time for that resident to consider another career and this must be reported for her sake and for future pts sakes

this is an important part of your job to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves

best wishes i hope that tomorrow is a better day

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Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I am sorry if I gave too much information; I guess I thought it would be easier to pray for her if there were specific initials or something....I guess I really didn't think. Sorry.

You're right about the resident. Anyone with MD behind her name should be able to do CPR, right.

Lisa

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what a crappy thing to happen. my thoughts and love are with her family. sending love to you and the rest of the staff. this is just too sad.

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Specializes in Emergency.

i'm sorry..... thinking as a nurse with my own home birth.

I'm sorry

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

Gosh that is horrible. I am sorry for everyone involved.

renerian :o

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