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Northside Hospital complaint alleges C-section delay before newborn brain injury

The complaint alleges that a pregnant patient was admitted to Northside Hospital with severe pre-eclampsia and signs of fetal distress. According to the complaint, an emergency C-section was ordered but the delivery was delayed after multiple attempts to place effective epidural anesthesia. The complaint alleges that the team failed to timely transition to general anesthesia or otherwise expedite delivery, and that the newborn suffered hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and permanent brain injury.

System
Northside Hospital
Facility
Northside Hospital
Providers involved
Northside Hospital, Inc. / John R. Conatser, M.D. / Taylor N. Plumer, M.D. / Northside/Northpoint OB-GYN, LLC / Northside Anesthesiology Consultants, L.L.C.
Pattern
Alleged delay in emergency C-section after severe pre-eclampsia and non-reassuring fetal tracing
Harm
Alleged hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and permanent brain injury

Overview

This page concerns a public complaint alleging that labor-and-delivery providers at Northside Hospital delayed an emergency C-section after severe pre-eclampsia and non-reassuring fetal monitoring.

Chronology

  1. According to the complaint, the mother presented to Northside Hospital in April 2023 with extremely high blood pressure and decreased fetal movement.
  2. According to the complaint, a physician diagnosed pre-eclampsia with severe features and noted a non-reassuring fetal heart-rate tracing at 5:14 a.m.
  3. According to the complaint, an emergency C-section was initiated at 5:30 a.m. because the fetal monitor tracing had not improved.
  4. The complaint alleges that between 5:46 a.m. and 6:12 a.m., anesthesiology providers made multiple attempts to place an effective epidural that allegedly lacked sufficient level for surgery.
  5. According to the complaint, the patient was brought to the operating room at 7:13 a.m.
  6. According to the complaint, the infant was delivered by C-section at 7:31 a.m. and immediately required therapeutic cooling for brain injury.

Alleged failures

  • The complaint alleges that the obstetrician failed to perform the C-section delivery expeditiously despite the emergency status.
  • The complaint alleges that the anesthesia team failed to timely coordinate effective anesthesia, causing a critical delay in surgical intervention.
  • The complaint alleges that hospital staff failed to properly monitor the fetal heart rate during the period of delay.
  • The complaint alleges that the defendants failed to communicate effectively about the inability to achieve adequate anesthesia levels.

Entities and tags

Northside Hospital, Inc.Northside/Northpoint OB-GYN, LLCNorthside Anesthesiology Consultants, L.L.C.Pre-eclampsiaEmergency C-sectionEpidural anesthesiaHypoxic ischemic encephalopathyCerebral palsyTherapeutic coolingDelivery delayDelay in C-sectionAnesthesia delayFailure to expedite deliveryBirth injuryObstetricsAnesthesiologyNeonatal careLabor and delivery

Questions this example answers

What does the Northside Hospital delivery-delay complaint allege?

The complaint alleges that a pregnant patient was admitted to Northside Hospital with severe pre-eclampsia and signs of fetal distress. According to the complaint, an emergency C-section was ordered but the delivery was delayed after multiple attempts to place effective epidural anesthesia. The complaint alleges that the team failed to timely transition to general anesthesia or otherwise expedite delivery, and that the newborn suffered hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and permanent brain injury.

Who is identified in this public case example?

This public case example identifies Northside Hospital, Inc., John R. Conatser, M.D., Taylor N. Plumer, M.D., Northside/Northpoint OB-GYN, LLC, and Northside Anesthesiology Consultants, L.L.C. It also tags the source-supported entities Northside Hospital, Inc., Northside/Northpoint OB-GYN, LLC, Northside Anesthesiology Consultants, L.L.C., Pre-eclampsia, and Emergency C-section.

What alleged failures are summarized here?

The complaint alleges that the obstetrician failed to perform the C-section delivery expeditiously despite the emergency status. The complaint alleges that the anesthesia team failed to timely coordinate effective anesthesia, causing a critical delay in surgical intervention. The complaint alleges that hospital staff failed to properly monitor the fetal heart rate during the period of delay.