Latest news with #Csection
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Baby died after C-section was delayed due to 'failure to communicate' between staff and doctor who was working from home
A baby died after a C-section was delayed due to a 'failure to communicate' between the staff and a consultant who was working from home. Daisy McCoy's mother had gone to the hospital reporting reduced and unusual foetal movement, but an inquest heard her pleas were not acted on swiftly enough. Staff at Yeovil Maternity Unit in Somerset failed to escalate the situation, and confusion between medics meant Daisy's emergency caesarean was delayed. The delay was caused by 'failure to communicate' between staff, including the consultant who was working remotely. By the time Daisy was born on February 9, 2022, she had already suffered a brain injury. The inquest found that the brain injury was already present when Daisy's mother attended the maternity unit, and an earlier delivery would not have impacted her chances of survival. The maternity unit has since shut temporarily due to 'high staff sickness', with the local MP blaming a 'toxic work culture' for driving medics away. Deborah Archer, area coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, has now warned there is a 'gap' in their policy regarding consultants or midwives attending when understaffing risks patient safety. Staff at Yeovil Maternity Unit in Somerset failed to escalate the situation, and confusion between medics meant Daisy's emergency caesarean was delayed The inquest heard that Daisy was born via Caesarean section at the hospital on February 9, 2022. Her mother had reported abnormal foetal movement, but there was a delay in the operation because of 'failure to communicate' between staff and a lack of training around the significance of this presentation. A scan showed that Daisy had suffered a brain injury due to a lack of oxygen or blood flow. The interruption to blood flow was 'potentially due to a problem with the umbilical cord or placenta', the report said. Her parents were left on their own for an hour with no explanation of how serious the injury was. After she was born rushed to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, before later being transferred to a hospice in Barnstaple, Devon. She died on February 22, 2022. The consultant working remotely did not 'fully consider' if she should come in to assist because she was unaware of staffing problems on the ward as the unit's guidance did not include asking one to attend if there was an issue outside of the staff's experience or skill set. Only the registrar, a middle-ranking hospital doctor undergoing training as a specialist, knew that the abnormal scan required a call to the consultant within 30 minutes, but she did not phone in either leading to a further delay in the procedure. Staff did not check the criteria for a normal heartbeat and therefore did not escalate the results of the test. The consultant told the inquest that if she had been aware of the outcome, she would have come onto the ward at that point. Ms Archer recorded a narrative conclusion that the 13-day-old had died due to an interruption in blood flow to the brain, which caused 'significant damage' and perinatal asphyxia before her delivery. In May this year, Yeovil Maternity Unit closed temporarily due to 'high staff sickness' and it is due to re-open November. During a House of Commons session in June, Yeovil MP Adam Dance told the chamber absences were caused partly by 'a lack of support, and toxic work culture, and bullying from management.' It was found that the brain injury had already happened when the mother arrived at the maternity unit and an earlier delivery would not have impacted her chances of survival. However, Ms Archer said the hearing had revealed a 'number of concerns' about procedures at the maternity unit. In a Prevention of Future Deaths report, she warned that further deaths may occur given the lack of training on abnormal foetal movements, the absence of policies on escalation of emergencies, and a gap in the policy on consultants attending when the ward is understaffed. The unnamed consultant said that if she had been made aware of the seriousness of the situation overnight, she would have come in. Her report has been sent to the associate medical director of Musgrove Park in Taunton, the other hospital run by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, and where many mothers from the closed Yeovil unit have been sent. They have until September 30 to respond.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Horrifying photos reveal the true dangers of ibuprofen after mum's skin ‘fell off' leaving her fighting for life
AFTER giving birth to her third child, Jaxon, via C-section, Aleshia Rogers was taking ibuprofen twice a day to dull the pain. But within three weeks of giving birth, her skin slowly started to fall off, and days later, doctors gave the mum-of-three a five per cent chance of survival. 15 15 The mum-of-three welcomed her son into the world in August 2020. But the 27-year-old began developing flu -like symptoms, including a high fever, swollen face and rash on her chest. She also had a burning sensation when she swallowed. Despite going to the hospital twice for medical advice, Aleshia was told she had pink eye (conjunctivitis) or scarlet fever and to continue taking ibuprofen to ease her pain and reduce the swelling. But just hours later, her face was engulfed in painful blisters and peeling skin, leaving the mum unrecognisable to loved ones. Harrowing pictures showed Aleshia lying in a hospital bed, her skin completely covered in bleeding sores after what doctors believed was an extreme reaction to painkillers, Ibuprofen. Aleshia, who lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, tells Sun Health. 'My eyes started swelling. 'They were bloodshot and burning, and I got a small rash on my chest, so I went to A&E and they told me I had pink eye and sent me home. 'The next day, my whole face was swollen, and both eyes were swollen shut. 'I went back to A&E and they told me I had scarlet fever and to go home.' What is Stevens Johnson Syndrome Hours later, her symptoms had progressed so drastically that her entire face and chest were covered in blisters. She returned to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) - a rare and serious disorder where the immune system sparks widespread inflammation in response to medication. She was later told she had Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis - a severe form of SJS - that was likely triggered by taking ibuprofen. Aleshia, a child and education technician, says: 'The doctors said the skin had died and detached. 'They called it sloughing. It fell off in sheets. 'The doctors said 90 to 95 per cent of the skin came off my body. 'Since your skin is your biggest organ, this caused me to get sepsis and multi-organ failure.' 'It was touch and go' She was transferred to an intensive care unit for burns and placed in a coma for three weeks. Aleshia underwent a full-body skin excision (removal) and grafting, as well as an amniotic membrane transplant on her eyes. During this time, Aleshia's heartbroken family were told she had a five to 10 per cent chance of survival. Miraculously, she was discharged after a month. 15 15 15 15 'I had absolutely no idea what had happened to me,' Aleshia says. 'I forgot that I had given birth. I lost a lot of memories. 'My family told me it really was touch-and-go as to whether I'd make it through. 'I've been told so many times that I'm a 'miracle'. 'It's always a thought, but I live my life like tomorrow isn't promised and try not to live in fear. 'I don't want people to be afraid of medicines, but I want people to be aware and mindful of what can happen.' What is Stevens-Johnson syndrome? Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare but serious skin reaction, usually caused by taking certain medicines - often epilepsy drugs, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory painkillers. It is named after the two doctors who described it in the early 20th century. It can be life-threatening so it requires immediate hospital treatment. Symptoms usually start with flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, sore throat, cough and joint pain. A rash usually then appears a few days later - spreading from the upper body to the face, arms, legs and genitals. You can also get blisters and sores on your lips, inside your mouth and on your eyes. Hospital treatment usually involves fluids to prevent dehydration, creams and dressings to moisturise the skin, strong painkillers to ease discomfort and medicines to control inflammation and prevent infection. It can take several weeks or months to fully recover. Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) is diagnosed when more than 30 per cent of the skin surface is affected and the moist linings of the body (mucous membranes) have extensive damage. SJS and TEN are rare. There is thought to be about one TEN case per one million patients - about 60 every year, according to the University of Liverpool. SJS is more common, with an incidence rate of about one in 10,000. Source: NHS Five years on, Aleshia is still recovering from long-term complications associated with SJS but is determined to raise awareness of this life-altering disorder. She says: 'We believe it was all triggered by taking ibuprofen. 'I took it twice a day for the C-section recovery pain, then continued taking it to ease my pain and swelling [when I developed flu-like symptoms]. 'Ibuprofen was my go-to med. I'd basically taken it my whole life since I was 14 to help with period pains. 'They don't know why I had this reaction to it. Doctors don't really have an explanation for it. 'They just said my body decided it didn't like it one day. It's very upsetting and confusing. 'There's no prevention, and once it starts, there's nothing you can do to stop it. 'And there's definitely a chance I can get it again at any time.' 15 15 15 15 15
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
As women face childbirth far from home, B.C. maternity doctors sound alarm
Thirty-six weeks pregnant, and away from her kids and community in a hotel in Prince George, Brittany King is trying to stay calm. The expectant mother is 600 kilometres from her home in Kitimat because the local hospital cannot support the twin babies she will deliver by C-section later this month. Prince George is better than Vancouver — a possibility that was raised earlier in her pregnancy — but it's still far from her support network at one of the most vulnerable times in her life. 'I'm just trying to take it day by day,' said King. 'I'm doing a lot of deep breathing.' In a statement released Friday, the obstetrics and gynecologists section of Doctors of B.C. sounded the alarm about the shortage of maternity specialists in B.C. and the impacts on women and babies whose lives 'depend on a doctor's middle-of-the-night decision-making.' Prince George and Kamloops, where patients were told they may need to be transferred to other hospitals to give birth, are the first B.C. sites to reach critical staffing levels, said the statement. 'There are many other communities around the province whose specialists are also reaching their limits.' Also Friday, Northern Health announced it had found specialist coverage for the Prince George hospital for August and September, eliminating the need to transfer high-risk patients. And while the situation in Kamloops remains the same, with patients not attached to a local maternity care provider potentially being transferred to other hospitals in the region, doctors have been able to cover the gaps, said a statement from Dr. Peter Bosma, executive medical director for Interior Health. 'We ask everyone to present to (Royal Inland Hospital) when needing urgent care, where they will be assessed and the best care plan can be put into place,' he said. 'When possible, a family practitioner with enhanced obstetrical surgical skills will also be available to support deliveries as appropriate within their scope. That was the case over last weekend, and all patients presented were able to deliver their babies locally in Kamloops.' While acute maternity care is most affected by specialist shortages, B.C. women of every age are experiencing limited access and long waitlists to see a specialist, said the statement from the obstetrics and gynecologists section. 'The closures that are making the news are due to the doctors remaining in these communities having to juggle all the competing women's health priorities they are responsible for.' The statement attributed the shortage to 'years of physicians doing everything they can to maintain services and burning themselves out,' as well as 'impossible working environments' that have led to departures. The statement said the obstetrics and gynecologists section has been working with the B.C. government for the past year-and-a-half, but the province's plan to recruit more doctors from the U.S. cannot be the only solution. Dr. Douglas Waterman, a New Westminster gynecologist, said the Ministry of Health needs to look closely at how the shortage developed. 'Providing obstetrical care has become more demanding over the past 20 to 30 years,' Waterman said in a written interview. 'Women are having their children later in their lives. They are also having fewer babies. Therefore, more pregnancies are first-time births, and are more likely to have medical complications. These pregnancies are more likely to need involvement by the obstetrician.' Waterman said during talks with government there was acknowledgment the current method of reimbursement was not working. 'We were starting to work toward an alternate payment plan,' he said. 'Hopefully, this work will continue and reach an appropriate outcome. In the meantime, recruiting new physicians to a system that is not working will not be a long-term solution. They will be subject to the same problems of burnout, job dissatisfaction and leaving.' Waterman said Canada has one of the best records for perinatal outcome in the world. 'That did not happen by chance. We need a well-organized and sustainable system for delivering obstetrical care all around the province. Our mothers and their babies deserve nothing less.' In a statement, the B.C. Ministry of Health said hospitals and the health authorities 'take every step possible to fill gaps in health-care provider coverage to make sure people get the care they need, when they need it.' Health authorities also support families with contingency planning if they need to relocate for a birth. The statement emphasized the work the ministry is doing to recruit doctors from the U.S. and other countries by streamlining credential recognition. 'Many health professionals have expressed interest in making the move to B.C.,' it said. Nicole Penner, expecting her fourth baby in a few weeks, is scrambling to figure out where to go to deliver her baby. Last time, she gave birth a few minutes after entering the doors of the Prince George hospital. At her last appointment, her midwife told her she would need to go to Quesnel or Vanderhoof, more than an hour's drive away. On Friday, after Northern Health announced it had found specialist coverage for August and September, Penner was even more confused about where to go. 'I'm scared,' she said. 'Do I call the hospital, or do I start driving to Vanderhoof? When you're in labour, you can't think. It's the only thing on your mind. I can't figure out where to go and who will take care of my kids. What if my labour is short? What if I don't make it to the hospital on time?' For Brittany King, facing childbirth far from home regardless of the situation in Prince George, there are no easy answers. The family has started a GoFundMe to help with expenses. 'It sucks. What else can I say?' gluymes@ Related 'Something fundamentally wrong': More disruptions hit maternity care in Kamloops, Prince George Conservative bill on prenatal and postnatal care in B.C. a rare opportunity for bipartisan co-operation Surrey nurse on maternity leave donates breast milk to help tiniest patients
The Sun
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Marnie Simpson reveals son, three, has fractured his pelvis and can't walk as she battles her own post-birth agony
MARNIE Simpson has asked for prayers after revealing her three year old son Oax has fractured his pelvis and can't walk. In addition to this, the Geordie Shore star explained she was recovering from her C-section after giving birth to daughter Kixee, and Oax had got chicken pox, meaning her newborn had to have antibiotics. 6 Posting to Instagram, Marnie wrote: "I will never forget the six weeks summer holidays 2025 till the day I die. It will go down in history for the biggest parent challenges of my life." She went on: "Three year old, five year old, and a new born, plus a C section and loft conversion. Pray for me. "Not to mention my five-year-old has severe adhd/asd. My three year old came out in chickenpox when my newborn was one day old, which meant emergency medicine for her. I detest with every inch of my body giving it to her but it's essential and it's a two week course! "And to top it off, Oax has fractured his pelvis and can't walk. You can't write it. All of this while workmen are wandering round my house working on the loft." She finished: "I'm too blessed to be stressed so I'm trying to be positive but thought I would update you all." Baby Kixee only arrived on 17th July, with Marnie announcing the lovely news on her Instagram stories. She wrote: "Baby girl is here safe and sound! "We're both doing really well and recovering. She's so beautiful and perfect! "I feel so blessed and still feels surreal I have a daughter. "Gonna enjoy this baby bubble and get back to socials once I've recovered fully. "Thanks for all the amazing messages it really means so much." Marnie and partner Casey Johnson, 29, are already parents to Rox, five, and Oax, three She announced she was pregnant again in February of this year and fans guessed straight away she was having a girl, as she used the backing track Lullaby to my Daughter. Marnie previously described her first labour, which lasted 28 hours, as traumatic and insisted on having a c-section the second time round. 6 6 6 .
New York Times
31-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
What Are the Solutions?
By Susan Burton Hi, 'Retrievals' listeners. Episode 4, our final episode of this season, drops today. In Episode 4, we learn about some of the changes that Dr. Heather Nixon and her colleagues made at UI Health to manage patient pain during cesarean. I took this photo of Heather on a reporting trip in December. That day, she gave an educational session for anesthesia residents on communicating with patients. In this series about solutions to pain during C-sections, communication is the one we examine closely. In this week's episode, for example, we learn that it may not always be enough to tell health care providers to 'listen to patients'; you need to give them a system to do so. But of course a lot of medical factors are at play here, too. What are those medical 'problems' and possible solutions? What are the myths and the realities? The medicine of the C-section is a massive topic for a single newsletter. When I considered what I could offer today, a note from a listener named Kate Davis came to mind. Kate, who underwent a painful C-section in New York City, said that her pain had never been acknowledged by her doctor or any hospital staff, and that the first episode left her teary and breathless. But 'I still have questions,' she wrote. 'Why did Clara 'pass' the block test and then feel pain?' This week I put a version of this question to Heather. HEATHER: Once you get into the abdomen, those internal organs are not covered by the same exact nerve endings that the skin is. So my test of the skin is not a perfect metric for the internal organs. And that's unfortunate. I wish I had a better way to test internally, but I just don't. So when they start moving those organs around, often patients will feel discomfort. And some women, most women, if you are giving enough adjuncts and enough medicine through the epidural will say: 'I feel it moving. It's a weird sensation.' And I'll say, 'But is it painful?' And they'll say: 'No, it's not. It's just weird.' But then we have women who are like, 'No, it is painful.' And that's where we need to start thinking about how to change the script in those scenarios. SUSAN: Is there a world where there's another kind of test that allows you to make this determination before the patient is opened up? HEATHER: I would say before they're opened up, probably not. And this is why, Heather adds, knowing what puts a patient at higher risk for intraoperative pain is important. For example, in her experience, patients with an infection called chorioamnionitis, or Triple I, are likely to feel more pain. A longer surgery can increase the risk of pain. An epidural that consistently did not offer enough pain management during labor is another red flag. HEATHER: And so when I have those patients, I have every single thing in my arsenal right up front because they're probably going to need it. And I'm also having discussions with them. I'm like, This may not be enough. We may need to go to sleep. Those are the conversations that you need to have — the proactive, We think you're at high risk. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
