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A large settlement has been secured for a family whose baby was born with irreversible brain damage due to alleged Delivery Nurse negligence in the administration of the contraction enhancement medication Pitocin, a synthetic branded version of Oxytocin. Oxytocin is on the list of “High Alert Medications” as defined by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) and has been the subject of several similar malpractice cases.
During the long delivery, nurses allegedly failed to follow hospital and ISMP protocol on giving the patient Pitocin to enhance the force and frequency of contractions.
Hampton & King’s Medical Malpractice & Negligence team announced the settlement secured is sufficient to enable the family take care of the child for the rest of his life.
Pitocin, a synthetic branded version of Oxytocin – a hormone that induces labor in the female body, is recommended in the case of pregnancies that last for more than 41 weeks and exhibit high blood pressure at full term. The synthetic version of the hormone is highly potent. It makes the delivery process faster and much more forceful.
The hospital’s Pitocin policy is designed to simplify difficult deliveries and reduce the risk of fetal injury. Nurses are provided with a check list that is to be completed before the administration of Pitocin and after. The aim of the policy is to ensure the correct administration of the drug that may otherwise cause excessive uterine contractions.
In the specific situation, the nurses did not follow the hospital protocol, Hampton & King alleged, resulting in excessive uterine contractions that contributed to fetal distress and ultimately brain damage.
It has been reported that Pitocin, which is typically administered intravenously or intramuscularly, is the pharmaceutical product associated most often with preventable adverse occurrences during delivery. The ISMP notes intravenous Oxytocin was added to the High Alert Medications list because of difficulties in determining the right dosage and the risk of hyper-stimulation. Whenever an improper dose is administered and monitoring protocols are not followed thoroughly, the risk of birth defects increases exponentially. Some of the potential consequences include fetal distress, fetal acidemia (high acid levels in the blood of the unborn baby), brain damage, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (brain injuries caused by oxygen deprivation), cerebral palsy, low Apgar scores and neonatal jaundice, among many others.
Hartley Hampton, senior partner at Hampton & King who argued the case noted “The creation of medical procedure protocols is not sufficient in themselves to ensure the lack of mistakes. Adherence to these protocols must also be guaranteed by healthcare facilities.”
For more information, please visit https://www.hamptonking.com.
About Hampton & King
Hampton & King is the go-to firm for complicated medical malpractice cases in Texas and New Mexico. The firm’s seasoned attorneys have an excellent reputation and extensive experience. Over the years, they have represented clients in an array of very challenging medical malpractice cases.
The firm’s practice areas include medical malpractice, birth injuries and complications during childbirth and Hampton & King lawyers have over 60 years of experience in this field. The firm has secured large settlements for multiple clients, addressing medical negligence and malpractice in a comprehensive, thorough way.
The team includes attorneys Hartley Hampton (who has been practicing for more than 40 years) and Christopher G. King (who has over 20 years of experience in the field of medical malpractice). Dr. Krista Kurtyan, the third full-time member, is a physician and responsible for the provision of medical knowledge and insight during malpractice case preparation.
Release ID: 358456