How Doctors Missed Newborn Group B Strep Infection
Here we examine a report concerning a lawsuit regarding a Group B Strep infection. As the report shows sometimes having several physicians ends up in mistakes as opposed to the consensus on diagnosis and proper treatment. The first doctor involved was the one who delivered the baby. This doctor either missed or ignored symptoms that the newborn had contracted a GBS infection.
The obstetrician then ordered that the newborn be moved to the nursery. At no time, however, did the obstrician document or report any of the symptoms consistent with GBS. To compound the problem, the pediatrician who made rounds at the nursery likewise failed to take any action even though the baby was in respiratory distress. In only a few hours, the newborn went into respiratory and cardiac arrest and subsequently was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. This Group B Strep case was announced as settled for $5.7Million by the law firm that handled the lawsuit.