Woman dies after abortion request 'refused' at Galway hospital (1 Viewer)

[adamus]

The husband of a pregnant woman who died in an Irish hospital has said he has no doubt she would be alive if she had been allowed an abortion.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20321741

It's sad that we have to watch people die in order for the law to change.

 

[nooleen]

there's a march happening on saturday at 4 pm

"March to protest the horrific state of affairs as it stands in Ireland, where Savita Halappanavar in the year 2012 in an Irish hospital died suffering and in pain after being denied an abortion she and her husband repeatedly requested.

Enough is enough. No more women can die.


From the Garden of Remembrance to the Dáil, where we will hold a candlelight vigil in conjunction with Galway Pro-Choice to grieve Savita's unnecessary death."

https://www.facebook.com/events/243742145755096/

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

What a bunch of medieval bullshit. That poor woman and her husband.

 

[Jill Hives]

I've been thinking about this all day since I read it this morning.
It's absolutely sickening.
I honestly feel bad for the doctors too. Hands tied on what they are legally allowed to do.
There are some very lovely Irish doctors who want to help. I bet they are sick with themselves for not taking a stand.
Awful position to be in, for all involved.

 

[Scientician 0.8]

Am I wrong in imagining that stuff like this must be somewhat common but that usually doctors do the procedure and are discrete about it?

 

[Psycho Punk]

Am I wrong in imagining that stuff like this must be somewhat common but that usually doctors do the procedure and are discrete about it?

Some doctors do the procedure. A few women on Liveline telling how they were left in agony, no painkillers until the fetus died.

 

[Psycho Punk]

Come to the Dail 6 pm tonight.

 

[Jill Hives]

I know some doctors have gone beyond what they are legally allowed but I've never personally heard of any who actually performed a procedure.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Am I wrong in imagining that stuff like this must be somewhat common but that usually doctors do the procedure and are discrete about it?

My understanding is that it's not common - i.e. where a mother's life is in real danger from the continued presence of the child.

They will often let the child die inside, and while this is traumatic, it doesn't pose an actual threat to the mother's life.

But I am not a doctor, or even a woman. So I can't be sure.

My understanding is that they are controversial because like rape and incest they are clear moral arguments in favour of abortion and they counter the moral argument of all life being sacrosanct. So they have long been battle grounds in the choice v life debate.

We also have the situation of where successive iterations of the legislature have sat on their hands since the SC decision so now have blood on their hands.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Shorter answer - I don't know.

 

[therealjohnny]

Where is Janer these days?

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Where is Janer these days?

I am sure he's devoting all his time to improving the lives of children of single mothers whose unwanted pregnancies have hobbled their economic futures.
Cos he's all about life, innit?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

I thought abortions were permitted where the life of the mother was in danger, as the life of the mother in this case seems to have clearly been.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

I thought abortions were permitted where the life of the mother was in danger, as the life of the mother in this case seems to have clearly been.

Only clearly in hindsight, unless you're a doctor.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

Am I wrong in imagining that stuff like this must be somewhat common but that usually doctors do the procedure and are discrete about it?

I would have assumed the same.
Whatever about the rights and wrongs of abortion,how did doctors allow this lady to develop sceptecimia (spelling) in the first place?

 

[Jill Hives]

It's more or less blood poisoning, no? An infection or bateria in the blood stream that takes over? Having no real medical knowledge I obviously have no idea. I would think if you were miscarrying probably the issues causing it could also directly (same problem) or indirectly affect the blood stream of the mother.

 

[pete]

I would have assumed the same.
Whatever about the rights and wrongs of abortion,how did doctors allow this lady to develop sceptecimia (spelling) in the first place?

It's more or less blood poisoning, no? An infection or bateria in the blood stream that takes over? Having no real medical knowledge I obviously have no idea. I would think if you were miscarrying probably the issues causing it could also directly (same problem) or indirectly affect the blood stream of the mother.

A death as a result of an infection during a miscarriage is a rare event in the developed world. Referred to as a septic abortion or miscarriage, most cases are due to infection with bacteria such as E.coli or streptococci.

In a more severe form that spreads to the wall of the uterus, the patient will usually have a fever and a raised pulse.

The initial management of a suspected septic abortion involves taking a swab from the vagina and the neck of the womb. If the woman’s temperature goes above 38.4 degrees Celsius then blood is taken and sent to the laboratory to see if the bugs have spread to the bloodstream.

A combination of antibiotics is started even before the results of these tests are available. However, it is possible that despite the treatment the patient will go into medical shock, their blood pressure drops and a serious complication called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) may ensue.

In this situation it is normal practice to wait until the patient has stabilised before surgically removing the contents of the uterus.

On rare occasions, a hysterectomy may be needed if the infection remains uncontrolled.

A miscarriage is defined as loss of pregnancy in first 24 weeks of gestation.

There are different types of miscarriage including:

* a threatened miscarriage with mild symptoms of bleeding and usually little or no pain. The neck of the womb remains closed;

* an incomplete miscarriage occurs if either the conception sac or the placenta remains in the womb;

* an inevitable miscarriage occurs with heavy bleeding, and the neck of the womb is now open. If the bleeding is severe the mother may slip into medical shock.

In an inevitable miscarriage, even though a foetal heart beat is present, the pregnancy cannot continue to term.

With the neck of the womb already open, the woman’s body prepares to naturally evacuate her womb.

However, with the neck of the womb open, there is an opportunity for bugs such as E.coli to travel from the vagina into the womb before multiplying and infecting the inside wall of the uterus.

Infection can then spread to the woman’s bloodstream, leading to shock and the onset of DIC, which occurs when the normal functioning of blood cells is progressively impaired, leading to multi-organ failure.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1114/1224326573976.html

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

My question probably should have been why wasn't the infection diagnosed and treated in time?Its rhetorical anyway at this stage.
However you look at it its a horrible affair,that poor lady.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

My question probably should have been why wasn't the infection diagnosed and treated in time?Its rhetorical anyway at this stage.
However you look at it its a horrible affair,that poor lady.

It sounds like an infection was diagnosed, as they had her on antibiotics after a day or so.

Whether it was deemed secondary to their duties to the unborn child and how aggressively they monitored/fought the infection should come out in the inquiries.

We really only have the husband's version at this point (is this correct?) and while no one is accusing him of lying, he's certainly not an impartial observer.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

I believe your right about the husband.
Just have to wait till the inquiry comes out I guess.