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OLIVIA - AUSTRALIA
January 26, 2019 - March 6, 2019 Late-onset Mother's GBS Status: Tested negative Gestational Age: 27 weeks Age harmed: 37 days |
My pregnancy with Olivia was not without complications, I had started leaking fluid around 19 weeks with full rupture of membranes at 24+2 weeks. I was immediately hospitalised and given steroids, I remained in hospital on preventative antibiotics until I developed chorioamnionitis at 27+6 weeks and Olivia was delivered by an emergency cesarean. I had tested negative for GBS with weekly swabs, including the day of delivery, but they found GBS on both sides of the placenta. Olivia was given 6 days of IV antibiotics in the NICU, she missed the 7th day as her canula tissued.
She had a reasonably uneventful life for 5 weeks, growing amazingly and had minimal respiratory support.
On day 35 of life she had doubled her birth weight, now 2020grams. She had a hard flat spot on the top of her head and a bruise in the creases on her forehead. They had been trialling a new cpap hat on her that had a knot in the same area as the hard spot, and the Velcro adjustment was the same as the bruise, so they were brushed off as being due to the new hat and she was changed back to the old style. She had conjunctivitis and here eye/temple was swelling, again put down to the cpap.
On day 37 she was pale, irritable and started presenting a deep purple rash in her groin. The rash was spreading to her thighs quickly and was hard to touch. She was reviewed, blood cultures taken, and given 3 different IV antibiotics. Within 3 hours of first review she need to be stimulated to breathe so was intubated and plans made for a blood transfusion. 5 hours after the cultures were taken they had grown GBS bacteria, her antibiotics were changed to target the infection better.
Olivia rapidly declined, 12 hours after review her kidneys had all but stopped functioning, she had 2 plasma transfusions. Her whole body had swelled and was hard to touch, the rash now going past her knees and to her shoulders both front and back.
She was baptised that night and was unstable for a spinal check to diagnose meningitis but was diagnosed with GBS sepsis. Olivia was receiving double the recommended dose of morphine as well as an added sedative and she continued to wake in pain. Now on 100% life support with continuous desats and regardless of being heavily medicated her blood pressure would not rise back to a safe number.
The following morning a head ultrasound showed collections of blood and pus on her brain and the decision was made to transfer to palliative care and remove her life support.
- Chantel Galwey
She had a reasonably uneventful life for 5 weeks, growing amazingly and had minimal respiratory support.
On day 35 of life she had doubled her birth weight, now 2020grams. She had a hard flat spot on the top of her head and a bruise in the creases on her forehead. They had been trialling a new cpap hat on her that had a knot in the same area as the hard spot, and the Velcro adjustment was the same as the bruise, so they were brushed off as being due to the new hat and she was changed back to the old style. She had conjunctivitis and here eye/temple was swelling, again put down to the cpap.
On day 37 she was pale, irritable and started presenting a deep purple rash in her groin. The rash was spreading to her thighs quickly and was hard to touch. She was reviewed, blood cultures taken, and given 3 different IV antibiotics. Within 3 hours of first review she need to be stimulated to breathe so was intubated and plans made for a blood transfusion. 5 hours after the cultures were taken they had grown GBS bacteria, her antibiotics were changed to target the infection better.
Olivia rapidly declined, 12 hours after review her kidneys had all but stopped functioning, she had 2 plasma transfusions. Her whole body had swelled and was hard to touch, the rash now going past her knees and to her shoulders both front and back.
She was baptised that night and was unstable for a spinal check to diagnose meningitis but was diagnosed with GBS sepsis. Olivia was receiving double the recommended dose of morphine as well as an added sedative and she continued to wake in pain. Now on 100% life support with continuous desats and regardless of being heavily medicated her blood pressure would not rise back to a safe number.
The following morning a head ultrasound showed collections of blood and pus on her brain and the decision was made to transfer to palliative care and remove her life support.
- Chantel Galwey
To learn more about Perinatal & GBS Misconceptions, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.