A woman was admitted to Chowan Hospital to have labor induced for the birth of her baby. She was admitted on a Friday night, labor was induced, and she was given the drug Pitocin on Saturday morning. No vaginal exam was performed until after noon on Saturday.
The nurse who performed the exam discovered an umbilical prolapse, a condition where the umbilical cord protrudes from the vagina. If the cord becomes compressed, it can restrict the flow of blood and oxygen to the baby, causing brain damage.
The nurse called the attending obstetrician and prepared the mother for an emergency C-section. It took 16 minutes to move the mother into the operating room, where the C-section was performed under local anesthetic. [Read more…]