A confusing case of misdiagnosis that led to the tragic death of the mother



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Even after two visits to the hospital with unbearable headaches, the doctors told her that all she needed was a good sleep.

By ELIZABETH MERAB

According to this author


A little known woman breathed the small hours of Saturday, October 14, 2017 in one of the country's venerated private facilities.

She had spent the last days of her life fighting a stroke, a secondary disease that developed after a short period of postpartum preeclampsia. In a pain too distressing for her to describe, Wilder Kemunto Moturi, a middle-aged woman, shouted with the help of her maid, who was taking care of her newborn downstairs – at least that's how it was
Her older sister praised Wilder, who was 44 when she pbaded away, a woman who had a unique resolve and enviable resilience, a woman full of spirit.

We visited Wilder's family a few months after his death, following a series of articles published on allegations of medical negligence and malpractices against doctors.

But what makes this woman so special? Why is Wilder's story so important? To answer these questions, we will have to return a few weeks before dying, while she was stronger, and that she could go to an emergency department for treatment.

Despite what many might describe as almost charmed she was no different from many other Kenyans who had to deal with long queues in public health facilities or at the same time. exorbitant costs incurred in private institutions.

Like many Kenyan patients, Wilder suffered long delays. to be provided, and a lot of dissatisfaction with the services in the public hospitals. To solve the problem, and given that she had access to private insurance, she chose to seek treatment in a private facility where, for nine months, she took good care of the growing baby. her belly during the prenatal consultations she attended faithfully.

What she had not anticipated, was that exactly one month after delivering her bundle of joy, she would not be there to hold him or feed him. She died a month after delivering a healthy and bouncy girl.

The tragic story of Wilder began in the wee hours of Thursday, September 14 last year, exactly seven days after childbirth, when she developed what her sister "She was released from the hospital on September 8th after giving birth the day before. "

Joyce remembers:" She had just left the hospital on September 8th. Wilder received painkillers and was sent home.

"The doctor told her that she was not sleeping well because of her new baby, then gave her painkillers, tablets and she came home. Says Joyce.

Unfortunately, the persistent pain in his head continued, each book becoming stronger than the previous one. The pain was so unbearable that the mother of three decided to return to the same hospital to receive stronger oral pain medications badociated with injectable medications.

It took only three days for Wilder's health to deteriorate. Healthy woman waiting for her baby to a dying patient, fighting for her life in the intensive care unit.

"On Saturday, September 16th, my sister woke up at 5am, crying that the headache was killing her, and a taxi hailed by her daughter took her to a different hospital. where they arrived at the Nairobi Hospital, my sister suffered a stroke that caused paralysis on one side of the body, "recalls Joyce, adding that they had learned that stroke was caused by high blood pressure.

It only took three days for Wilder's health to deteriorate, from a healthy woman waiting for her baby to a dying patient, fighting for his life in the intensive care unit.After days of misdiagnosis and hazardous treatment at the first hospital, his family decided to get a second opinion from a different establishment, where they were informed that his condition had deteriorated so much that the stroke had After an internal bleeding

at the High Dependence Unit (HDU) of Nairobi Hospital, Wilder breathed last, a month after she was diagnosed with the disease. is complaining of a headache.

"The doctors told us that they were doing their best but she had a cerebral hemorrhage, so she stayed at the USI for two weeks and two at the HDU, incurring a bill of almost five Millions of shillings, "adds Joyce.
What they did not know, however, was that AVC Wilder was suffering from a secondary disease caused by untreated postpartum preeclampsia, a a rare condition that occurs when a woman has high blood pressure and excessive protein in her urine soon after delivery.


Most cases of postpartum preeclampsia occur within 48 hours of the date of birth. Childbirth and require prompt treatment.Untreated, postpartum preeclampsia can cause seizures and other serious complications.This is not something that new mothers usually think of, but when a woman gives birth, her risk Stroke increases dramatically, especially if it develops preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous complication of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure. According to experts, uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause strokes by damaging and weakening the blood vessels of the brain, causing them to shrink, break or leak.

A headache that turned his head in the hospital, his condition was deteriorating, information that the family learned when his condition was critical.


"When we went to get answers from the first hospital while Wilder at the Nairobi Hospital for her medical records of the two visits that she consulted for medical care, the records indicated that". she had what the doctors termed as a very high level of blood pressure, "said Joyce

.Hospital response when they went for medical records.According to Joyce, the attending physician didn? prescribed no medication to help Wilder's tension despite the fact that he was abnormally high.

"The administration has apologized for missing Wilder's diagnosis. In their defense, they said it was the mistake of their staff who was under investigation as this was not the first case! "

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