Substandard care led to the death of a young woman 23 days after she gave birth
A medical expert has concluded that the substandard care received during and after labour was responsible for the death of a young woman just twenty three days after she gave birth.
The medical expert stated that 'Deep vein thrombosis and therefore pulmonary embolism are preventable conditions'. It is normal practice in the UK to identify women who are at risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism…The purpose of defining the risk of deep vein thrombosis is to enable the appropriate prophylactic measures'
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have identified several risk factors for deep vein thrombosis. The patient had several of these risk factors present which included an elevated body mass index, a surgical procedure in pregnancy and prolonged labour. Despite these warnings, staff at the hospital identified that patient's risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis as 'moderate' when it was in fact 'high'.
The hospital failed to provide the patient with anti-embolic stockings and only provided anti-coagulant drugs for four days following labour. This is despite a recommendation from the Report on the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom which stresses that in women with significant risk factors, consideration should be given to prolonged thrombo-prophylaxis, for example, for six weeks after delivery.
The medical expert concluded that 'As a result of the failings in the ante natal care and management around the time of her delivery [the patient] suffered deep vein thrombosis…which then developed into a fatal pulmonary embolism'.
The expert highlighted several failures of medical staff that contributed to the tragedy which included:
- Only weighing the patient twice during her nine ante-natal appointments
- Failing to re-check the patient's body mass index
- Failure to ensure consultant led ante-natal care
- Failure to test the patient for gestational diabetes
- Failure to recognise prolonged first and second stages of labour
- Failure to recognise that the patient was at high risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis
- Failure to ensure adequate thrombo-prophylactic measures in the post natal period.
If you or someone you know has been affected by similar circumstances and you would like to discuss a claim then please call Metcalfes Solicitors on 0117 929 0451 to arrange a free initial consultation.
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