A woman in her third trimester of pregnancy experienced a stillbirth after a specialist missed “red flag” symptoms of an infection and sent her home without further investigation. If the woman had been admitted, the baby likely would have survived, findings released today by the Health and Disability Commissioner reported. According to the findings, the woman presented at a public hospital when she was 33 weeks’ pregnant, with clear vaginal discharge and abdominal pain.
She was prescribed antibiotics, pain relief and steroids. Four days later a scheduled scan found she had reduced amniotic fluid, and the discharge was changing colour. Her abdominal pain remained.
She was booked for an induced labour two weeks later, discharged and advised to return to hospital if she had concerns. The following day, the woman returned to the maternity unit, as she was experiencing contractions. A fetal heartbeat couldn’t be found and the baby was found to have died in utero.
Deputy commissioner Rose Wall said in her findings that the presence of green discharge and abdominal pain should have raised concerns with the consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist as placing the fetus at risk. The woman should have been admitted to the maternity unit for further investigations. She found the decision to discharge the woman was a severe departure from accepted practice and as such the doctor had failed to provide the woman with reasonable care and skill.
Independent advice prepared for the co.
