Only if it's my own!
Posted on 07/07/2005 1:20:28 PM PDT by Pharmboy
Los Angeles (Reuters) A California woman is suing a hospital for wrongful death because her husband fainted and suffered a fatal injury after helping delivery room staff give her a pain-killing injection.
Jeanette Passalaqua, 32, filed the suit against Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Southern California Permanente Medical Group Inc. in San Bernardino County state court last week.
In June 2004, Passalaqua's husband, Steven Passalaqua, was asked by Kaiser staff to hold and steady his wife while an employee inserted an epidural needle into her back, court papers said.
The sight of the needle caused Steven Passalaqua, 33, to faint and he fell backward, striking his head on an aluminum cap molding at the base of the wall.
Jeanette Passalaqua delivered the couple's second child, a boy, later that day. Steven Passalaqua, however, suffered a brain hemorrhage as a result of his fall and died two days later, the lawsuit said.
The suit seeks unspecified damages related to Steven Passalaqua's death and to Jeanette Passalaqua's emotional distress at being widowed with two young children.
Because Passalaqua was solicited by Kaiser to assist in the epidural, the lawsuit said, the hospital "owed him a duty to exercise reasonable care to prevent foreseeable injuries resulting from his participation."
A spokesman for Oakland, California-based Kaiser Permanente called the death "a tragic accident."
"Some of the allegations in the lawsuit are simply that -- allegations. The legal process is under way and we should respect that," said Kaiser spokesman Jim Anderson.
LOL
Only if it's my own!
That is hilarious.
I guess some folks can't stand blood. It never has bothered me but I'm a girl :) The funniest one I know is this guy who was trying to train to be on the ambulance and to be honest the first time we got a call that involved blood we came about an inch from having two patients. He did not last long on the job.
How stupid. What's Kaiser supposed to do, pad the walls in their delivery rooms now?
Do they ALL miss? I have heard so much anecdotal feedback on just that, including my own - 2 out of 3, and that's probably only because the third wasn't an epi but a spinal for a c-section.
There's nothing like an anesthesiologist digging around at the base of your spine, banging all sorts of nerves, sending powerful jolts through your body, while you're trying to remain as still as possible through excruciating contractions.
Even worse, both my epis only took on one side. Imagine that, ladies - feeling full-blown contractions on HALF your body. If by some miracle I ever find myself pregnant again, I will NOT be getting the epidural. I'll just suck it up, I think.
Boy, that's a cheap shot. Some people are just very squimish about that stuff. My best friend in High School was the star football, Basketball and baseball player in the County. He would have also been the best guy on the wrestling team but he didn't go out for wrestling after his freshman year so he could focus on Basketball. He was one of the toughest people I have ever known and was generally fearless. One day our biology class was doing a dissection of a fetal pig. Students paired off and each pair had a pig to dissect. Me and Randy (the jock friend) pair off together. Less than two minutes into the dissection he puked on the floor and ran from the class refusing to return that day. He was just too freaked out by pig guts.
Years later Randy and I were watching Monday night football when Lawrence Taylor broke Joe Theisman's leg in a rather gruesome fashion. He got visably upset and refused to watch replays of the incident. Some people are just unable to watch that kind of stuff, regardless of their toughness or "manhood."
Good for you, recognizing what you don't know is extremely valuable in some situations!
My wife had our first one naturally, so the appearance of the needle with the second one was a welcome sight.
It was a night & day difference. Tremendous discomfort during one, and a relatively causual event with the other. She actually napped from 6 to 10 centimeters dialation.
Actually, some lawyers do say know. But there are always those who figure they will at least get some type of settlement. But it probably wasn't wise for the hospital staff to have the husband hold his wife. Bet they won't do that again.
LOL
I had a patient who's husband refused to leave his wife's side..okay, very cute..but later that night, I had to draw blood..I hadnt even stuck her yet and he had to leave the room...He returned when I was done with a wet face cloth on his head... :o)
I'm sure he meant all except his - lol.
All six of mine have been done perfectly. Maybe you just got stuck with the lower half of the anesthesiology graduates.
Hmmm, as far as the hospital asking...they asked if i would LIKE to help. Not "come help because we are short staffed." I was woozy the first time around cause I hadnt eaten anything all morning, but was fine for everything else, including the next child, I just ate first!.
It could be the same situation in this case ... as the article said, the only information available is from the plaintiff's lawsuit filing.
My first they didnt feel I "needed" an epi... I was young enough to "tough it out".
My second I had a c-section so there was no choice.
Although i dont plan on any more...Im with you..Id go without the epidural altogether!
I can handle blood all day long, but large bore needles make me get lightheaded nearly every time. Here's a concept...I leave the room.
However, I've been in a few first aid situations where it was necessary for me to remain as the needle was inserted. Deal with it becomes the operative term.
While I feel sorry for this womans loss, she shouldn't get a single dime in this lawsuit.
I don't consider myself a sissy, by any means.
I can take vaccinations with no problem whatsoever. But IVs, where they draw blood...I'm kissing the tile, white as a ghost, in a dead faint.
Everyone has their weak spot, I guess. This one is mine.
After the room stopped spinning, I held my wife's hand firmly and did not look any lower than her collarbones for the rest of the day. Woo!
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