From mid-June to early August 2021, the woman’s medical condition deteriorated during which she suffered from intractable and uncontrolled vomiting, severe malnourishment, and during which time she lost about 40 pounds from her pre-pregnancy weight…medicalmalpracticelawyers, $1.5M Medical Malpractice Settlement Involving Rare Pregnancy Complication Leading To Brain Damage
Her diagnosis was hyperemesis gravidarum (severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that can lead to dehydration and weight loss) that progressed to metabolic derangement (the disruption of biochemical pathways that leads to imbalances in energy production and nutrient processing).
She was subsequently diagnosed with Wernicke’s encephalopathy (a life-threatening acute neurological condition characterized by ophthalmoparesis (weakness or paralysis of one or more extraocular muscles that control eye movements) with nystagmus, ataxia, and confusion caused by thiamine deficiency, which primarily affects the peripheral and central nervous systems.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy during pregnancy is rare, however the risk factors for its development during pregnancy include persistent nausea with vomiting, electrolyte or nutrient deficiencies, and poor intake or weight loss, as were experienced by the woman.
She was diagnosed with Wernicke’s encephalopathy on August 9, 2021, after being hospitalized seven times and having been examined by the OBGYNs during six outpatient clinic visits.
The woman suffered permanent brain damage and was left with significant cognitive and memory impairment as well as neuro-ophthalmologic deficits. The woman’s thiamine deficiency could have been easily treated with supplemental, empiric thiamine, according to her experts, who testified that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines require the administration of empiric thiamine for patients suffering from severe hyperemesis gravidarum.