Woman said she went into sepsis before she could get lifesaving abortion care in Texas

[groundloop]

Source: ABC News

A Texas woman said she had to wait until she developed sepsis before physicians could provide her with lifesaving abortion care.

[snip]

Kristen Anaya's medical records, obtained by ABC News, show she waited 22 hours between when she was admitted to the hospital to when she delivered her baby, despite her spiking a fever and shaking uncontrollably within an hour of arriving.

[snip]

An ultrasound confirmed that she had lost nearly all her amniotic fluid, but the baby's heart was still beating, according to Anaya's medical records. As she was being examined by a doctor, Anaya began having rigors — shaking uncontrollably — and spiked a fever, both an indication of an infection which could lead to sepsis, the medical records show.

"The pregnant patient has a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy, That condition places the pregnant patient at 'risk of death;' That condition poses a 'serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function'," doctors wrote in her admission medical records.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-sepsis-life-saving-abortion-care-texas/story?id=99294313

[walkingman]

1. These bible-thumping pieces of shit Texas legislators need to be run out of this state....ASAP

[Wicked Blue]

2. I hope she sues the bejeesus out of them

This is deliberate, wilful torture of a woman at risk of dying.

[RKP5637]

3. All part of the GOP plan to be as injurious to people as they can. n/t

[sakabatou]

4. Remember, cruelty is a feature, not a bug

[RKP5637]

7. Exactly!!!!! n/t

[Rebl2]

9. Even other

republican women? For all we know this woman is a republican.

[RKP5637]

10. Could be. n/t

[NullTuples]

5. "...but the [fetus'] heart was still beating" is such fraud foisted by the GOP

Here's a video of heart cells grown in a petri dish, happily beating. This attribute does not confer "personhood" (btw, have you noticed the right has abandoned that wording in favor of "life" and "baby" and other such terms? It's because they know they cannot support it).

[sanatanadharma]

6. I hope an organization with resources and funds is archiving a database of these stories

I hope an organization with resources and funds is archiving a database of these stories.

[Haggis 4 Breakfast]

16. Remember Cecile Richards ?

[NullTuples]

8. Info regarding Post Sepsis Syndrome - basically, sepsis can damage your body for a long time

This is state-mandated medical malpractice, forcing doctors to harm patients all in the name of religion and political power.

https://www.sepsis.org/sepsis-basics/post-sepsis-syndrome/

What is post-sepsis syndrome?
Post-sepsis syndrome (PSS) is a condition that affects up to 50% of sepsis survivors. It includes physical and/or psychological long-term effects, such as:

Physical
-----------------------------
Difficulty sleeping, either difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep
Fatigue, lethargy
Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing
Disabling muscle or joint pain
Swelling in the limbs
Repeat infections, particularly in the first few weeks and months following the initial bout of sepsis
Poor appetite
Reduced organ function, eg kidney, liver, heart
Hair loss
Skin rash

Psychological or emotional
------------------------------------
Hallucinations
Panic attacks
Flashbacks
Nightmares
Decreased cognitive (mental) functioning
Loss of self-esteem
Depression
Mood swings
Difficulty concentrating
Memory loss
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

[patricia92243]

11. I wonder if Alito sees things like this and has any qualms about what he has done.

[Lonestarblue]

13. I doubt Alito would have qualms about anything related to abortion or imposing his religious

beliefs on the country because he has few, if any, ethics and doesn’t seem to care how real people suffer from his actions. It is becoming ever clearer that the best way to stop the malpractice by the conservatives on the Court is to appoint four new justices NOW.

[Haggis 4 Breakfast]

17. Alito couldn't care less if women died left and right.

He sees himself as some great moral crusader. History will not see him this way.

[NullTuples]

15. The Catholic Bishops Healthcare Initiative tells him he's doing the right thing.

If as a person in a position of power he can prevent someone else from committing a "sin" he must do so, or he will suffer the same consequences.

It's a nasty ethical & moral slight-of-hand the Roman Catholic Church started pushing in 2008.

[yardwork]

18. He gets off on it. His opinion was full of references to medieval torturers.

[Novara]

12. Cruelty is the point

These motherfuckers will never forgive women for getting all uppity and demanding equal rights. So theyll take it out on us for as long as they can.

[electric_blue68]

14. I Hate these people! I do spend serious time away from this stuff despite being here a lot...

and at 70 one thing I don't have to be directly concerned about.

But as a feminist it infuriates me! Also would be a worry of friend's daughters in Red States!
As I say - we are not your broodmares!
(And most broodmares get treated better, too.)

(among the major reasons I vote, and often gotv)

[diva77]

19. Could this qualify as "torture" according to 18 U.S. Code § 2340?

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2340

(1) “torture” means an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control;

(2) “severe mental pain or suffering” means the prolonged mental harm caused by or resulting from—
(A) the intentional infliction or threatened infliction of severe physical pain or suffering;
(B) the administration or application, or threatened administration or application, of mind-altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or the personality;
(C) the threat of imminent death; or
(D) the threat that another person will imminently be subjected to death, severe physical pain or suffering, or the administration or application of mind-altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or personality; and

(3) “United States” means the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the commonwealths, territories, and possessions of the United States.
(Added Pub. L. 103–236, title V, § 506(a), Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 463; amended Pub. L. 103–415, § 1(k), Oct. 25, 1994, 108 Stat. 4301; Pub. L. 103–429, § 2(2), Oct. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 4377; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title X, § 1089, Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2067.)

[LeftInTX]

20. That's a federal law. Medical practice is state law.

If she was in a VA hospital, possibly.

[diva77]

21. Thanks. Found this: Texas Penal Code - PENAL § 42.092. Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals

https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-42-092/

here is some of what's in the law:

SNIP

(3) “Cruel manner” includes a manner that causes or permits unjustified or unwarranted pain or suffering.

(4) “Custody” includes responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of an animal subject to the person's care and control, regardless of ownership of the animal.

(5) “Depredation” has the meaning assigned by Section 71.001, Parks and Wildlife Code.

(6) “Livestock animal” has the meaning assigned by Section 42.09.

(7) “Necessary food, water, care, or shelter” includes food, water, care, or shelter provided to the extent required to maintain the animal in a state of good health.

(8) “Torture” includes any act that causes unjustifiable pain or suffering.

(b) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly:

(1) tortures an animal or in a cruel manner kills or causes serious bodily injury to an animal;

(2) without the owner's effective consent, kills, administers poison to, or causes serious bodily injury to an animal;

(3) fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, water, care, or shelter for an animal in the person's custody;
SNIP

==========

Perhaps it will take classifying humans as nonlivestock animals to have women treated humanely in Texas.

[LeftInTX]

22. Really! She really needs to sue the doctors etc

I don't see any other way to deal with this .
I know the medical professionals are in a bind, but I think a jury would side with her. If everyone sues, then we might see change.

Medical Practice Acts are complicated. They are overseen by the State Board of Medical Examiners. The State Board can issue guidance sans legislative change. The AG can also issue guidance. I know this is answer we don't want, but it's the only way to deal with what we have now.


Edit. I found this, but don't know how far it went. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/07/14/texas-biden-emergency-abortion/
According to Biden's guidance, hospitals can have their Medicare status revoked.

Well a Texas judge overruled Biden's EO. But I have no indication that Biden appealed..WTF??

All women affected need to take legal action.

[diva77]

23. Thanks for this info.

[LeftInTX]

24. Followed up further

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/emtala-missouri-hospital-investigated-emergency-abortion/

https://nwlc.org/the-biden-administration-enforces-federal-protections-for-patients-seeking-emergency-abortion-care-for-the-first-time-since-dobbs/

I believe the women need to go through the correct channels. The media is important, but if it ends there, all it creates is outrage

https://reproductiverights.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Zurawski-v-State-of-Texas-Complaint.pdf