Start/Search | Browse by Day | Author Index

Obstetrical settings are often designed for emergency situations. When the emergency becomes a cardiac or respiratory arrest, and the patient is pregnant, many healthcare teams may not be prepared. Fortunately, these are rare events and healthcare workers must learn from the experiences of others. This case study reviews a patient who presents to the hospital, develops signs of trouble, and eventually goes into a cardiac arrest. The healthcare team responded quickly, initiating CPR and calling the hospital "Code Team." During CPR, an emergency cesarean section is performed in the delivery room, where 29-week twins are delivered and resuscitated. Amazingly, all three patients survived. Many factors contributed to the successful outcome of this case story. The hospital had gone through several steps to improve the culture of safety in the perinatal setting, including teamwork training for all staff and physicians, initiation of a Perinatal Safety Committee, improvements in communication with staff and among nurses and physicians. The details of this case show that this patient presented on a weekday, during the dayshift, and when multiple resources were immediately available.