Strep Infections
Even though many of us take for granted how good healthcare is compared to the pre-antibiotic years, this report out of London places things back in perspective.
Two mothers died from an identical infection after giving birth at the same hospital on the same day in the London area and an investigation is underway.
Teachers Amy Kimmance, 39, and Jasmine Pickett, 29, gave birth to a girl and a boy respectively at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, just before Christmas and within days of being released they both died from complications relating to the group A streptococcal infection.
This is the common strep bacteria that causes strep throat.
According to the hospital, initial findings suggested Kimmance developed fatal toxic shock syndrome brought about by the infection before dying on Christmas Eve.
Similar findings showed Pickett died from a sudden onset of severe pneumonia almost certainly caused by the infection. She died on Dec. 23.
Both babies survived and are in good health.
There is an investigation into the deaths and to determine if staff were infected and gauge whether they had a part to play in the tragedy.
The maternity unit remained open.
A statement by a hospital spokesman said "The clinical facts so far suggest that these are two, separate, tragic incidents and are not directly related to the clinical care received at the hospital"
I think it is probably premature to make this statement.
We thankfully live in an age where deaths during or after childbirth are very rare and death from this common infection seldom occcurs.
Medicine isn't perfect, but we've come a long way!
Two mothers died from an identical infection after giving birth at the same hospital on the same day in the London area and an investigation is underway.
Teachers Amy Kimmance, 39, and Jasmine Pickett, 29, gave birth to a girl and a boy respectively at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, just before Christmas and within days of being released they both died from complications relating to the group A streptococcal infection.
This is the common strep bacteria that causes strep throat.
According to the hospital, initial findings suggested Kimmance developed fatal toxic shock syndrome brought about by the infection before dying on Christmas Eve.
Similar findings showed Pickett died from a sudden onset of severe pneumonia almost certainly caused by the infection. She died on Dec. 23.
Both babies survived and are in good health.
There is an investigation into the deaths and to determine if staff were infected and gauge whether they had a part to play in the tragedy.
The maternity unit remained open.
A statement by a hospital spokesman said "The clinical facts so far suggest that these are two, separate, tragic incidents and are not directly related to the clinical care received at the hospital"
I think it is probably premature to make this statement.
We thankfully live in an age where deaths during or after childbirth are very rare and death from this common infection seldom occcurs.
Medicine isn't perfect, but we've come a long way!
posted by Anonymous at 5:54 AM
2 Comments:
I am a little confused, Doc. Did this happen this past Christmas...or is it an article you are quoting about something happening pre-antiobiotic era?
It happened this past Christmas.
We are extremely fortuanate that advances in medicine help protect us from these events.
Childbirth used to be a very high risk for mothers and babies because of simple infections that are now treated routinely.
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