Woman Gives Birth, Later Dies From Bacterial Meningitis

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 12:30 PM
Updated: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 7:15 PM

BELLFONTAINE, Ohio — Hospital administrators said Tuesday that they were conducting an investigation after two women contracted bacterial meningitis within 24 hours of giving birth.

The women arrived at Mary Rutan Hospital Thursday evening and both delivered healthy babies. By the next morning, the women started to become ill, 10TV's Tanisha Mallett reported.

"Sometime around mid-morning there were complications," said Mandy Goble, president and chief executive officer of Mary Rutan Hospital. "Headaches and a little bit of nausea developed, which is very common with spinal anesthesia."

Later in the day, the women were moved to Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus. Shortly before midnight, one of the women, Susan Simpson, 30, died.

Goble said her hospital immediately launched an investigation to determine what caused the infection.

"They came in about an hour apart; they were in separate rooms (and) as far as we know they did not know each other previous to the delivery," Goble said. "The only commonality that we have been able to determine is they each shared a spinal anesthesia."

The other woman, whose name was not released, remained at the hospital on Tuesday. Her family and friends told 10TV News that she was in the hospital's intensive care unit, Mallett reported.

The women's babies were in good condition at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The Ohio Department of Health told 10TV News that the Logan County Health Department was also involved in the investigation.

Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.

©2009 by 10TV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.