When an infant with a Group B Strep infection is not immediately treated with antibiotics the results can be disastrous. Because of this it is critical for doctors to consider Group B Strep if a baby displays signs of an infection and either rule it out with diagnostic testing or comply with the treatment protocol. It is consequently essential that doctors quickly diagnose a newborn with symptoms of a Group B Strep infection and administer antibiotics immediately.
Consider a published case where antibiotics for GBS were intravenously given to a pregnant woman while she was in labor. This is common protocol for women with a history of Group B Strep colonization during the pregnancy, a prior pregnancy, or when tested while in weeks 35 through 37 of the current pregnancy. The expectant mother in this case took her newborn to a pediatrician six weeks after the baby's birth. The pediatrician noted that the baby was febrile. Regrettably, the pediatrician failed to review the prenatal chart and therefore did not realize that the infant had formerly been exposed to the bacteria.
Without seeing the prenatal records the doctor just ordered testing so as to determine what was causing the newborn's high fever. By failing to immediately administer antibiotics the pediatrician let essential time to lapse during which the newborn became septic, developed meningitis and experienced strokes. This left the baby with mental retardation and an untreatable seizure disorder .
The mother sued the physician for failing to diagnose the Group B Strep infection and administer treatment right away. As the lawsuit progressed the doctor stated that she would not have waited to administer antibiotics if she had known about the mother's exposure to the bacteria during the pregnancy. The law firm that handled the matter documented that the doctor settled the matter for $6,150,000.
If there is a chance that symptoms can be the result of a serious underlying cause, for example a group b streptococcus infection, that may produce lifelong disabilities for the child unless antibiotics are given right away a doctor is expected to take them into account as a possibility unless the physician is able to eliminate them as the cause. When, as in the case reviewed herein, the doctor acts as though it is not even a possibility, especially when there is information in the mother's prenatal chart to suggest it might be, and the baby is permanently injured in the time that passes before treatment is provided, the doctor may be liable for malpractice.
Author Resource:-
Joseph Hernandez is a lawyer accepting catastrophic injury lawsuits. In order to find out more about group b strep infection claims and how a birth injury lawyer might help you visit his website.
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