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Texas hospital that discharged woman with doomed pregnancy violated the law, a federal inquiry finds 

By: De_Composed in GRITZ | Recommend this post (1)
Thu, 05 Jun 25 12:51 AM | 19 view(s)
Boardmark this board | Grits Breakfast of Champeens! 		Msg. 09182 of 09339
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Re: “WASHINGTON (AP) — A Texas hospital that repeatedly sent a woman who was bleeding and in pain home without ending her nonviable, life-threatening pregnancy violated the law, according to a newly released federal investigation.”
- clo2 #msg-1265841  

An interesting story with numerous slants.

An ectopic pregnancy is not viable, so doctors who terminate such pregnancies are not meeting the clinical definition for performing an "abortion." Texas law generally bans abortions, but it makes an exception for life-threatening cases like this one. What Texas allows is for doctors to use their judgement. It does not require that they end the pregnancy with surgery - which is the part you don't understand, I think. Depending on the circumstances, they can treat it with methotrexate, or employ expectant management (monitoring the pregnancy to see if it resolves naturally).

Sounds like they elected to go that route and it didn't work out. Unfortunately, medical care is often a crap shot and sometimes it doesn't go well. That doesn't mean that the doctors are negligent or incompetent. It only means that they're human.

We weren't there, you or I. Neither of us knows what happened or if some law was broken. I'm sure the patient is hoping one was and her lawyer is making the claim. That'll net her some $$. But was one really? What law?

That said, it SOUNDS bad for Ascension Seton Williamson hospital - a CATHOLIC hospital, btw. If the woman wanted her pregnancy ended, it wasn't the wisest of choices. Remember what I said earlier: Texas law does not REQUIRE doctors to surgically end an ectopic pregnancy. They get to use their judgement, and Catholic doctors are probably going to give a baby every possible chance first.

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