THE LONG WAIT FOR BLOOD

FEBRUARY 12, 2012:

11.05pm – An emergency Caesarean was carried out after a drop i n the f oetal heart rate at 11.05pm.

FEBRUARY 13, 2012:

12.03am – Dr Nikhil Purandare, then specialist obstetrics registrar at the National Maternity Hospital, says he put in the request for units of blood after finding that Mrs Hyland had lost about one litre of blood. Anaesthetists used a blood plasma substitute – nonoxygen carrying gelofusine – to maintain her blood volume while waiting for the blood to arrive.

12.10am – Anaesthetics and recovery staff nurse Aoife Lennon returned to theatre – she says it was then that Dr Purandare requested two units of O-negative blood.

12.11am – Nurse Lennon says she called the lab to order the blood products.

12.13am – Nurse Lennon gave the porter a collection docket.

12.20am – Consultant haematolo- gist Dr Karen Murphy says she believed the bloods were ready to be brought to the theatre at 12.20am, but the technician noticed an inaccuracy on the label. Dr Murphy said the technician, in line with regulations, had to correct his mistake, causing a 10-minute delay.

12.28am – Consultant obstetrician Dr Shane Higgins arrived and decided that a laparotomy was necessary to stop the bleeding. Blood loss was now estimated at two litres.

12:33am – Dr Mahony said the blood was released from the lab at this time.

12.35am – The laparotomy began and took 10 minutes. Blood loss was estimated at 3.5 litres following this procedure.

12.40am – The blood transfusion was commenced, some 37 minutes after it was ordered.

1.05am – Although considered stable after the laparotomy, Mrs Hyland suffered a sudden and unexpected collapse.