Misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancy claim

At its earliest stages every pregnancy should be carefully monitored by healthcare professionals and whilst most pregnancies progress without complications, mistakes in medical care can sometimes lead to serious consequences

In this ectopic pregnancy claim managed by the Pearson Medical Negligence Solicitors the misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancy led to a breach in duty of care by the clinic treating our client and we negotiated an out of court settlement for her.

What is an ectopic pregnancy?

An ectopic pregnancy is not a viable pregnancy and if not treated properly and quickly can lead to life-threatening issues.  It occurs when the fertilised egg implants and grows outside the main cavity of the uterus, most commonly in a fallopian tube, but sometimes in the ovary, cervix, or abdomen., however it is usually picked up by scans, symptoms and blood tests.

“Whilst ectopic pregnancies can often present like normal pregnancies there are some common symptoms which my client experienced and which the clinicians should have picked up on, including her blood tests and severe abdominal pain, it was noted as a potential issue in the initial telephone consultation, but totally missed at the later scan,” said medical negligence trainee solicitor, Sophia Rawlings.

Ectopic pregnancy case

In this case our 29 year old client had a positive home pregnancy test and made a difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy.  She had a telephone consultation with the Marie Stopes Clinic to arrange an in-person appointment.  It was noted that she not be given telemedicine as she was exhibiting classic ectopic pregnancy symptoms.

Two days later she began to experience abdominal and back pain.  A pelvic ultrasound was done at the Marie Stopes clinic but no further investigations into the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy were made, it was misdiagnosed and our client was given Mifepristone PO and Miso TTO to commence a medical abortion.

“At this stage had the scan been correctly performed my client should have been referred to hospital for a surgical abortion as her pregnancy was ectopic, she should never have been given tablets to commence a medical abortion and failure to do so falls below a reasonable standard of care,” said Sophia.

Two days later she was dizzy, vomiting and feeling clammy, and went to her local NHS clinic via ambulance.  She was prescribed Tranexamix, an antifibrinolytic medicine used to stop or reduce short-term bleeding.

Her condition did not improve and ten days later she returned with intense irritation, burning and pain when urinating and continued abdominal pains.  She was told a scan could be carried out and was discharged with painkillers and antibiotics.

Later a scan confirmed she had indeed had an ectopic pregnancy and a large haematoma.  She was treated immediately and discharged to recover at home.

“Had the ectopic pregnancy been noted and she had been referred by the Marie Stopes Clinic to hospital immediately she would have been treated with a laparoscopy almost 2 weeks earlier, this young woman would not have experienced two weeks of internal bleeding and the pain and suffering the whole episode caused her,” said Sophia.

Compensation for medical negligence during pregnancy

If you suspect that something went wrong during your pregnancy treatment then speaking with a solicitor who specialises in medical negligence is an important first step. They will help to explain the process and talk you through what happens and how it is paid for.

In this case, as in others the claim was funded by a conditional fee agreement and after the event legal expenses indemnity insurance, so there is no financial outlay or worry for the client and here we secured an £8,000 out of court settlement.

How can we help?

Seeking early legal advice can be particularly important in medical negligence claims due to strict time limits.  For specialist legal advice contact our Medical Negligence Solicitors on 0161 785 3500 or email enquiries@pearsonlegal.co.uk for a friendly no-obligation chat.

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Please note that the information and opinions contained in this article are not intended to be comprehensive, nor to provide legal advice. No responsibility for its accuracy or correctness is assumed by Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers Ltd or any of its members or employees. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking, or refraining from taking, any action as a result of this article.