Page 8 - OB Risks - Delivering the Goods (Part Two)

SVMIC Obstetrics Risks: Delivering the Goods

If an initial transvaginal ultrasound fails to identify signs of either

an intrauterine or extrauterine pregnancy, close monitoring of
the woman’s hCG hormone should take place.
10

As the New England Journal of Medicine outlined in its article,

“Diagnostic Criteria for Nonviable Pregnancy Early in the
First Trimester”, a false positive diagnosis of nonviability may

result in medical or surgical intervention that eliminates or
severely damages a viable pregnancy. For example, women
11
with intrauterine pregnancies treated with methotrexate for
suspected ectopic pregnancy, may lose the pregnancy or give

birth to a malformed baby. In at least one jurisdiction (Alabama),
the physician may be liable for the inadvertent elimination of

a viable pregnancy. The outcome of a lawsuit based on a
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physician’s inadvertent elimination of a viable pregnancy can be

substantial, resulting in damages from pain and suffering, actual
medical expenses, and loss of consortium.

Most malpractice claims involving ectopic pregnancy relate to
alleged lack of prenatal care and assessment. Allegations of

malpractice may arise from a failure to diagnose the ectopic
pregnancy and/or failure to treat the condition in a timely

manner. When a diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy is made
13
early enough using serial hCG and transvaginal ultrasound,

surgical intervention may not be required. For example, an
ectopic pregnancy may be resolved using medication such as

10 Id.
11 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmra1302417
12 Stinnet v. Kennedy, 232 So.3d202 (2016)
13 https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/104382-overview

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