Medical Verdicts

Did OCs for menorrhagia cause aphasia?

OBG Manag. 2004 August;16(8):72-74
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Cook County (Ill) Circuit Court

A 47-year-old woman presented with menorrhagia, for which her Ob/Gyn prescribed oral contraceptives (OCs). Approximately 1 month later, the woman suffered a cerebral hemorrhage that resulted in aphasia.

In suing, the woman contended that, as per the standard of care, she should have been prescribed progesterone—not OCs—due to a family history of strokes.

The defendant, while aware of the patient’s history, believed the benefits of OCs outweighed the risks.

  • The jury awarded the plaintiff $545,000.
The cases in this column are selected by the editors of OBG Management from Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts, with permission of the editor, Lewis Laska, of Nashville, Tenn. (www.verdictslaska.com) While there are instances when the available information is incomplete, these cases represent the types of clinical situations that typically result in litigation.

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