Page 65 - OB Risks - Delivering the Goods (Part One)

SVMIC Obstetrics Risks: Delivering the Goods

obstetrician who is managing the delivery of the infant
who is responsible for ensuring the appropriate steps

are taken to reduce the risk of a life-changing infection

to the mother and her baby.

The failure to transfer the information about the positive

Group B Strep test resulted in a lengthy hospitalization
and significant expense to treat the newborn. Residual

effects included difficulty with communication as well
as autism requiring speech therapy, physical therapy,

occupational therapy, and an applied behavioral
analysis. Although the child made progress, it was

determined by his physicians that he would not be able
to overcome all the developmental deficits caused by

the failure to treat.

The systems failures in this case made it difficult to defend

the care to this mother and her newborn son. This is also
another example of how mistakes involving communication

and systems errors are intertwined. An effective system to
ensure prenatal records (and any pertinent updates) are sent

over to the hospital at defined intervals can greatly reduce the
likelihood of this type of a malpractice claim.

Let’s look at another claim involving multiple systems failures

that resulted in a lawsuit:

Page 65