Death due to Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy Natural Death or Negligence?

A young adult female of low socio-economic status, and a labourer by profession, was brought dead to the Government Medical College & hospital, Chandigarh. History provided by her husband revealed that she had pain abdomen for the last five days for which she was getting treatment from a private practitioner. She had been prescribed NSAIDs and antispasmodics for the same. However, she was not investigated upon and no attempt was made by the practitioner to arrive at any diagnosis. The autopsy was conducted on the next day and at autopsy, about two-and-a-half liters of blood was present in the abdomen and pelvic cavity. Careful internal examination revealed a ruptured ectopic pregnancy as the source of bleeding. The case is discussed with regard to establishing whether the death could have been natural, due to the negligence of the treating doctor or due to contributory negligence. However, even in cases of contributory negligence, the “last chance doctrine” may not save the physician.