BALTIMORE (CN) – A woman had an unnecessary abortion after a misdiagnosis of ectopic pregnancy, the woman and her husband claim in Baltimore Circuit Court.

     D. G., who sued under her real name, sued Sonal Kachroo, M.D., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States and Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, P.C. for medical malpractice and failure to obtain informed consent. Her husband F.G., who sued under his real name, also sued for loss of consortium.

     D. G. saw Dr. Kachroo on Aug. 26, 2017 after a positive home pregnancy test, according to the complaint. Her last period had been July 21 and blood work showed hormone levels consistent with a gestational age of five weeks, it says.

     “Additionally, defendant Kachroo noted that Mrs. [G.] had recently undergone an ultrasound which showed a right ovarian cyst. An intrauterine gestational sac was not seen,” the complaint states.

     “Defendatn Kachroo negligently misdiagnosed Mrs. [G.] with an ectopic pregnancy. In violation of the standard of care, defendant Kachroo prematurely diagnosed an ectopic pregnancy without properly following/monitoring the development/progression of Mrs. [G.]’s pregnancy. Among other things, defendant Kachroo negligently failed to order/interpret serial ultrasound studies and repeat blood work prior to diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy,” it continues.

     Dr. Kachroo recommended methotrexate to terminate the pregnancy and D. G. had two injections of it before being sent home, according to the complaint

     “Methotrexate is a powerful, toxic drug which has a ‘black box warning’ required by the Food and Drug Administration to warn physicians of the drug’s dangerous side effects, including severe and permanent injury to the liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas and bone marrow,” a footnote in the complaint states.

     Over the next several days, D. G.’s gestational hormone levels remained high and increased, and she had another ultrasound on Sept. 9, according to the complaint. This time, the ultrasound revealed an intrauterine gestational sac consistent with a gestational age of six weeks, according to the complaint.

     “It was determined that the intrauterine pregnancy was no longer viable. Thereafter, Mrs. [G] underwent a dilation and curettage with suction. The intraoperative findings were noted to be products of conception/villi. The pathology report noted that the uterine contents included chorionic villi and decidua and gestational endometrium (i.e., products of conception),” the complaint states. (Parentheses in complaint.)

     “Had defendant Kachroo complied with the standard of care, appropriate work up and management of the development/progression of Mrs. [G]’s pregnancy would have led to the diagnosis of a viable intrauterine pregnancy, and Mrs. [G]’s unborn child would not have died. Mrs. [G] also would not have received methotrexate and would not have undergone a dilation and curettage had defendant Kachroo complied with the standard of care,” the complaint states.

     D. G. and F. G. seek economic and non-economic damages in excess of $30,000 and a jury trial. They are represented by Thomas C. Cardaro, Jeffrey L. Peek, C. Drew Fritch and Samuel V.D. Lewis of Cardaro & Peek in Baltimore.