A young woman who experienced negligent care and treatment of an ectopic pregnancy has been awarded £10,000 in compensation.
There were multiple missed opportunities to diagnose the ectopic pregnancy and an inappropriate administration of methotrexate without a prior scan.
The woman had a history of poor mental health and her experience exacerbated her pre-existing PTSD and left her with a fear of needles and vomiting.
She was supported by specialist solicitor, Amy Adkins, of Medical Solicitors’ Hull office, to make a claim for her injuries.
Case summary
After struggling for many years to conceive, the claimant ‘C’ found out she was pregnant in April 2022 aged 27. She contacted the early pregnancy assessment unit (EPAU) after becoming concerned by vomiting, but was told it was likely to be a sickness bug.
Two days later, she started bleeding so contacted her GP who referred her to the EPAU where she was told there was a chance she was having a miscarriage.
C went for a scan six days later as she had abdominal pain, bleeding and bowel discomfort. The scan showed she was in the very early stages of pregnancy and it was to be treated as a pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) as it couldn’t be seen on an ultrasound scan. C was reassured that the bleeding was likely to be implantation bleeding.
However, blood tests showed that her hCG levels were not doubling as expected which could point to an early miscarriage. Another scan was arranged but again the pregnancy couldn’t be located on an ultrasound.
The bleeding and pain worsened, but C was reassured by the EPAU that everything was okay. She then started vomiting so went to her local A&E department where C was told that it was likely to be an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage and she would need medical management.
No scan was done but she was advised to have a methotrexate injection to stop the pregnancy developing. This usually means you avoid surgery as the body reabsorbs the pregnancy cells.
From this point, C’s mental health started to decline. She started with heavy bleeding and unbearable pain so called for an ambulance. The paramedics said C’s symptoms were to be expected after the injection.
Her condition worsened and so she went back to A&E where she was given morphine and anti-sickness medication. C was admitted to hospital and was told she would have a scan the following morning. She was given IV antibiotics overnight.
The clinicians were concerned by C’s pain and discomfort and thought it was too extreme to be ectopic-related. A CT scan was done to investigate for a burst appendix or twisted bowel.
The CT scan showed evidence of the ectopic pregnancy but also significant blood and fluid. She was sent for emergency surgery to remove the right fallopian tube, which had ruptured. Fortunately, it was later confirmed the left tube wasn’t blocked so C is still able to fall pregnant naturally.
However, she has been left with worsening of her mental health condition including PTSD. She now has a fear of being sick and of needles due to several failed attempts to take her blood.
Litigation
In their Letter of Response, the defendant admitted that methotrexate should not have been administered without a scan. The scan would likely have shown the ectopic pregnancy. Surgery would have been required in any event, however the defendant admitted there was a six to eight day delay in surgery taking place. However, no admissions were made regarding a worsening of C’s mental health and PTSD.
The claim settled in September 2024 for £10,000 which included £8,000 general damages for her pain and suffering and £2,000 special damages for her financial losses.