Caesarean section without anaesthesia in Puerto del Rosario

[fifi]

Canarias7 article (not a great online translation ....sorry) http://www.canarias7.es/articulo.cfm?id=276263



A mother who gave birth in August remembers a  medical discussion in the operating room, just before losing consciousness when the knife landed on her skin.


It was an experience she will never forget.  MJV, 28 years old, entered the area of maternity of the General Hospital of Fuerteventura on August 5. At 0900 hours the following day enters the room, once health officials decided to induce labor, since, despite the long time elapsed, yet not had dilated enough to give birth naturally. But Gynecology equipment does not attend the young woman up to 12 hours later.

And it was not until 2040 hours when doctors decide to practice an emergency c-section, and do so because the beats of the baby are growing weaker and the mother was already exhausted after a long day of agony. From the affected environment was reported yesterday that «medical equipment which served it at that time was not able to assess the situation and was not aware of the serious risk that was taking place, not the mother having birth naturally».

The mother is brought to the operating room and several members of the medical team (anesthetist and gynecologist) start a discussion on how to react to the critical situation faced at that time. At the end the emergency c-section is practiced, but «without respecting the time needed to make anesthesia effect», the same sources reported. «This malpractice was so strong pain that mother lost consciousness, causing a dangerous situation because of the risk of losing their lives, both the mother and the baby, since the own baby was a few seconds without breathing», they added.

Things worsened. Despite practiced caesarean section, the baby was too big and they could not remove it. At the end they used a forceps that was not available in the same operating room and they had to go find a room 50 metres away. Meanwhile family members watched frightened the go and come from health shouting in the hallways. From the environment of the affected do not have doubts that that day there were medical negligence. In this sense, they point out that "the surgical problem suffered by MJV was very serious and caused a situation of high risk, that has generated physical and psychological consequences not only the mother but also to the baby, that will have to be valued to act accordingly". A report in the hands of the mother acknowledges 'acute fetal distress'.

In the Ministry of health they would not comment on the matter. Absolute silence.

[nacnud]

Wouldnt normally comment on this but even with the translation this sounds like someone trying for Compensation. C-Sec are performed under GA  which taking time to effect is approx less than 10 secs so "The Source" refered to seems not to comprehend this. The baby was too big for a c-sec. and foreceps had to be used PLEASE. The use of forcepts is when the baby is far to low in the Pelvis and is to big and has basically got stuck due tio it size. This will be done if the vacuum doesnt work.I believe anyone who has attended this Hospital will attest to the Preofessionalism of all the staff there albeit with Language difficulties if the Patient doest speak Spanish.
This article mentioned Malpractice and from what I read this is a mish mash of Insinuation and supposition of which I would find hard to believe in any circumstance.
Anyone interested can review an article in the BMJ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC420176/

[fifi]

I found the article shocking because of the fact that the young woman was not checked to see if the anaesthetic had worked and so she became unconscious because of the pain when the surgeon cut her open. That in my opinion is definitely malpractice. Surgeons and Anaesthetists  usually check to make sure  an anaesthetic has taken effect before an operation takes place and that was not done in this case.

It is strange also that there was not a Forceps in the delivery room and that staff had to run to another room 50 metres away  putting the babies life further in danger.  Surely there should have been all the equipment necessary available in the room?

The hospital in Puerto del Rosario does not have the facilities for safely delivering all babies and mothers are sometimes flown to Gran Canaria because of this.  The emergency helicopter service which serves all of the Islands has been cut in half with only one operating too which is a shame.

[nacnud]

Please put the emphasis on according to "The Source" the patient passed out with the Pain, or is it more likely that the GA had kicked in?
FiFi I am not saying that the case is not true, but interuptation of an event in a Hospital by a source that is quoting Malpractice still sounds like a Compensation Culture typical response. Spanish Doctors are Very well trained we are not talking about a third World Country here and NO Doctor will ever put his/her Patient at risk or cause Pain where it can be avoided. I worry when I see some one making accusations who may not be qualified to do so or be au fait with the Medical requirements in any given situation at that time.
Thats all, and I have said many times before the Media may only give a slanted view of any situation, without knowing the full facts we could both be guilty of jumping to conclusions, i just feel I iwll always put my trust in a proffessional before I will listen to someone like "The Source" mentioned in the Article.
on a final note The hospitals cannot disscuss in Public any Patients case so see nothing sinister in the no comment from them.

[fifi]

The heading of the article was Caesarian without anaesthesia. I guess the Hospital will sue if the article was incorrect nacnud.

[nacnud]

Probably not as again it would require the Confidentiality of the Patient to be discussed, usualy they await the Claim and respond to that in Court.

[fifi]

I will keep an eye out for more  news on the subject. There are a lot of unfavourable comments which have been left on Canarias7 and it has been on the news so perhaps someone else knows more about the story.

[suendrob]

Our first was born under almost identical circumstances. After many uncomfortable hours and induction, foetal distress occurred, emergency caesarian section was done. Voices were heard, cuts were felt before oblivion. We ended up with a perfectly healthy baby girl 9lb8oz - big- who has grown up to become a teacher.

We are happy to be proven wrong on any of the following points.

'Acute foetal distress' is a condition where, after a long labour,the baby opens it's bowels and contaminates it's environment (the womb). It must now be delivered ASAP.

The way I read it, the woman had been moved from the delivery room to the operating theatre for the operation. Forceps would be kept iin the delivery room. They wouldn't necesarily  be expected in the operating theatre.

Some new mothers make much more fuss than others. Witness the Channel 4 midwives series.

As Nacnud says, loss of conciousness was probably due to the anaesthetic.

Speed is of the essence in cases like hers and ours.

Not sure why forceps would be needed in a caesarian, as they simpl need to cut a bigger hole, but, then, I'm not a surgeon. We are just a couple whose baby was delivered under almost identical circumstances. She never even thought of complaining about something that needed doing, and had a good outcome.

[SheilaW]

The heading of the article was Caesarian without anaesthesia.

I'm inclined to agree with macnud's reading of this one. The title, at least, is clearly misleading, seeing as the article itself says (as well as we can make out from the translation) that there was anaesthesia. It was just that it maybe took a little longer to kick in fully than they dared allow for the baby's sake (and possibly the mother's too). In suenrob's case they were happy that all ended well. I hope the same was true here - do we actually know?

Of course, only good comes of reviewing the details of cases like these and I hope the medical team did just that. But witch hunts don't do any good, nor do ambulance-chasing lawyers who encourage people to sue at the drop of a hat.