The Health Service Executive has set up a helpline after a pregnant woman was given a misdiagnosis at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda that could have resulted in the death of her baby. Melissa Redmond was told that her foetus was dead when in fact it was alive. Mrs Redmond was given an abortive drug but decided to seek a second opinion that found no problem with her pregnancy.
noaddedsugar wrote: » That's awful but I really don't find it that hard to believe. I had a scan at 8wks pregnant and they didn't find a heartbeat, that was on a Friday. I was told to come back on the Monday for a d&c. On the Monday I asked for another scan before the procedure and grudgingly they agreed, the man who was doing the scan even asked me what I was doing there as there wasn't going to be a change over the weekend. Lo and behold they found a heartbeat. The sonographer just said it's a viable pregnancy and sent me on my way. My son is now 3. That was in UCHG.
Fitzcaraldo wrote: » For me, the biggest issue is the fact that there is no insistance that people have a second scan befor the final determination is made. Listening to that lady from Galway on Morning Ireland, she had to continuously insist that she wanted a second scan. The nurses kept telling her it wouldn't make a difference and that she would miss her slot in theatre. I am of the opinion that death is kind of a final outcome, there ain't no going back from it, so why the hell are some people in the medical profession so loathe to pay heed to the wishes of the patient. Here was a woman who had already had two children and a miscarriage and so, had an idea about such matters, yet when she raises her concerns, she is more or less treated like an annoyance. My heart goes out to any women who didn't insist on a second opinion and had the procedure - how must they now be feeling. The fact that you have a good acdemic record does not give you the right to adopt and air of infallibility. I fully acknowledge that there are some excellent doctors and nurses out there but there are also some shocking ones. Please, if you view your patients as an inconvenience or if you are unwilling to listen to their concerns and fears then do us all a favour and quit or take a job in a lab.
walshb wrote: » The most arrogant and pompous people you will meet. Not all may I add, but a damn lot of them, who have that arrogant and condescending way of dealing with the "average joe." They look down on the ordinary person, as if because they are doctors they are above us mere mortals.
ScumLord wrote: » Well they do build a persona to deal with the fact they're watching people die on a daily basis, that's true of most doctors around the world. I've heard it said you'd much rather have a cocky doctor than a insecure one.
Hannibal Smith wrote: » are you the lady they were talking about on the news this morning?
Wazdakka wrote: » Sneaky way to set a precedent for legal abortion?
he Children's Minister has suggested the establishment of maternity centres of excellence in the wake of revelations about misdiagnosed miscarriages. Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/andrews-calls-for-new-approach-to-maternity-care-460963.html#ixzz0qLhvxi2X
Hannibal Smith wrote: » I was just thinking the same! What kind of idiots are they employing there!
galwayrush wrote: » Very highly paid idiots.:(
UpCork wrote: » I find this story so disturbing. We were only chatting about it at break time today at work and thinking of all the people who were perhaps told the same thing and went through the whole procedure. There is no way for them to know whether mistakes were made with their baby or not. What an awful thing to live with your whole life.
The_Minister wrote: » What is interesting is that the unborn have a right to life under the Constitution - this is a bigger deal here than it would be in other countries, since we don't have abortion.
drkpower wrote: » It is actually this kind of simplistic over-generalised thinking that leads to these kinds of mistakes happening. The simplistic approach is this: Ultrasonography machines and their operator are usually always right. Therefore if it says your baby is dead, it is, so move on, take the abortifacient and come back for a D&C. The nuanced individualistic approach is this: Ultrasonography machines and their operator are not infallible. Given the gravity of the situation and the consequences, come back in a week for a re-check. Given your knee-jerk reaction lacking in any subtlety or nuance, you would probably have acted like the very people you deride. I wonder if you have the insight to realise that?
walshb wrote: » Act arrogant and pompous and condescending? No, that is a separate issue. My point was with doctors in general, or didn't you read the post?
drkpower wrote: » Yes, it was your lumping in together and broadly charachterising of 'doctors in general' which was my point. Did you read the first line of my post?
oppenheimer1 wrote: » What can I say I'm not at all surprised by the OTT reactionary hyperbole of the usual AH crew. Doctors are human too, and are known to make mistakes on occasion. To say that the HSE is a terrible organisation on the back of a few misdiagnoses is ludicrous. I'm waiting for the call for Harneys resignation.
Fitzcaraldo wrote: » Be this the product of misinformation or be it a truthful representation, the fact remains that the perception is out there. The medical profession should make an attempt to deal with this perception accordingly.
Single1 wrote: » Hi all, I agree with the fact that hospital staff are human and errors can be made but I do think that when it comes to this a second scan on another machine should be standard practice. I had a missed miscarriage July 2009 in Cork and we were so upset we just took the news and assumed that there was no mistake. On hearing all of this on the news we have done nothing but wonder what if a mistake had been made. It's heartbreaking to think that we could have our little child here now had we asked for a second opinion. I was sent home that day to come back the following morning for a D&C and that is what I did. I do wish now that I had asked for a second opinion. I wonder if there were any others on the same date at CUMH.
