Shanksteps #84

#84 Shanksteps
Breathing hard I arrived to Maternity.  A woman lay on the delivery table with her eyes closed.  Blood was all over her wrap skirt and up her back.  Her abdomen looked pregnant beneath the flower print with blood all over it.  Her palms and feet were white for her black skin.  The maternity nurse was placing an IV.  He said her blood pressure was 60 and he couldn’t find a pulse but that her heart sounded fast.  Her family said she was 10 months pregnant.  I did an ultrasound and found the baby’s
head was down and that her placenta was blocking the exit. (placenta previa)
We told her husband we needed to do an emergent surgery and that she also needed blood right away.  The lab technician came and drew her blood and did the blood type.    The husband stood in the corner looking squeamish.    After much persuasion and harassment he finally had his blood checked.  Should I give blood or hope they find someone willing?  A neighbor gave blood and after getting the oxygen machine, giving her ketamine and placing a urine catheter, we started.
The tissues were pale.  The small vessels we cut oozed a liquid that appeared like blood and water mixed together.  I was careful to have as little blood loss as possible.  The little boy came out flaccid and blue.  His heart was going slowly and he did not breath.  I broke sterility (meaning I left the operation temporarily and help with resuscitation of the boy.  He started taking intermittent breaths.  One of the nurses continued bagging him as I reentered the surgery.  Mom did not loose too much
blood.
After finishing the surgery I again continued bagging the child.  The baby was still blue and now was not taking breaths like before.  We put the saturation machine on the baby now that mom was done and it was 5% (normal is >95%) With me bagging it climbed temporarily then plummeted.  We worked on him about 1.5 hours in all.  He died as we bagged.
The father and family live very far away and asked if they could bury the child behind the maternity ward since they could not make it home.  Out back he dug a hole and buried his son.
Many children are lost in childbirth.  And many complications occur from childbirth.  I saw another woman today who had been pregnant 7 times.  The first two each died at about one year of age from disease.  The third was delivered prematurely at 4 months gestation, the fourth is living, the 5th and 6th were twins and died 3 days after birth.  And the seventh died at 6 months of age from disease.  She now has been 5 years without another pregnancy and wondering what she can do.  She has obtained
a sexually transmitted disease, like from an unfaithful husband.  So I’m praying that after I treat her STD that she may get pregnant again.  I say we see about one or two a week that have infertility from infections.  With polygamy and promiscuity, even outside polygamous families, there are many with STD’s.
It was a long day.  Had 12 hours straight in the hospital today.  Am thankful to be home.  Just wish it could be with my family.  Please keep my mother-in-law in your prayers as she is facing end of life very soon.  Also for my wife who is taking care of her.  Thank you all for your love, prayers, and various forms of support.  In His Service, Greg