Readers Response to Vacuum-assisted Vaginal Delivery - Essay Example

Running Head: VAVD Response Reader's Response to Vacuum-assisted Vaginal Delivery Essay CollegeAbstractThis reader's response is directed at Laura R. Mahlmeister's essay, "Best Practices in Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing: Vacuum-assisted Vaginal Delivery." Although only three pages, the essay material is dense. The point is that "nearly 100,000 preventable deaths occur in American healthcare facilities" (Mahlmeister, 2005) annually. In particular, Mahlmeister focuses on the case of a 27-year-old woman, pregnant with her first child, who comes to a hospital in anticipation of a normal delivery.

The woman is two weeks past her due date, and after receiving an epidural to make her more comfortable, she is instructed by a nurse to begin pushing. By the time the doctor arrives, and pushing attempts still aren't working, he delivers the baby with the assistance of a vacuum. Although the vacuum's suction popped off the baby's head four or five times, a 9 pounds and 8 ounces girl was delivered alive. Shortly after her birth, however, she took a turn for the worse and it was soon discovered that the baby would live, but with severe neurological deficiencies.

The family initiated and won a large lawsuit because it was determined that the nurse who originally instructed her to push did so too soon, the delivering doctor should have desisted in vacuum use after fewer pop-offs, the neonatal nurse originally taking care of the baby should have reported the delivery complications to the oncoming nurse who would be taking care of the baby for the night, and both nurses should have reported the baby's low body temperature and low activity sooner to a pediatrician so the baby could be evaluated.

Basically, the child's handicaps could have been prevented with proper care for the mom and newborn.It is my personal opinion that all the nursing staff tried to do the right thing. Recovery from a C-Section is difficult for a woman, so the staff was probably making attempts to keep that from happening. As well, many doctors and hospitals are criticized for performing too many cesareans each year, so it is understandable that if it looked like a successful vaginal delivery could be achieved, the professionals would try to do so.

The health of the mom and infant, though, are always most paramount. There were certainly points during the delivery when an emergency section could have been planned to remain on the safe side. Any mom would prefer to spend a few weeks recovering from surgery than spend a lifetime taking care of a disabled child, especially when her injuries were preventable.I suppose the issue was resolved as best as possible, under the circumstances. Again, no amount of money can make up for the physical and neurological damage to the child, or the emotional damage to her family.

Winning a large lawsuit, however, can help ensure that the family can offer proper care to a disabled child that might not have otherwise been possible, or would have financially bankrupted the family. The only positive aspect for the physician and nurses is that they are more likely to know, and follow, proper procedure for vacuum-assisted deliveries, and other complicated deliveries in the future. It is sad that a child's life was albeit destroyed because of this, but this example is likely to affect a change in the profession of obstetrics and gynecology.

It would be interesting to see how the delivering physician's practice thrived after the lawsuit. It would also be interesting to know how many physicians, because of this, updated their outdated knowledge of vacuum-assisted deliveries.Hopefully, this case also informed pregnant women that they, too, can become active participants in their health care. If something seems wrong, they should feel free to question a physician about the choices being made, and insist on knowing the rules.ReferencesMahlmeister, Laura R.

(2005, January-March). Best practices in prenatal and neonatal nursing: Vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, 9-11.