1988: You don't have to be Kermit Gosnell to be appalling

When 23-year-old Stacy Ruckman went to Scott Barrett for an abortion on February 20, 1988, she didn't know how he anesthetized his patients.

According to Barrett's staff, Barrett would not have general anesthesia administered to his abortion patients. Instead, he would inject them with excessive amounts of the local anesthetic Lidocaine. The overdose would cause the woman to lose consciousness.

Sometimes, staff reported, a woman would stop breathing, and Barrett would resuscitate her. But when Stacy stopped breathing, Barrett and his staff were unable to revive her.

An autopsy found toxic concentrations of Lidocaine in Stacy's blood. Her parents sued, and a jury awarded them $25.3 million for the wrongful death of their daughter.

Here's everything I have on Barrett over at RealChoice:

• Legal Abortion Advantages describes Barrett's care of 22-year-old B.J. The medical board noted that "having nearly eviscerated his patient and with her clearly in critical condition, he sent her to the hospital in a private car during rush hour. ... A more egregious example of incompetence and gross negligence is difficult to imagine."
  
  
• Another Barrett Botch Job describes Barrett's care of 18-year-old S.G., who nearly bled to death right under Barrett's nose, while her anxious family pleaded with him to do something for her.
  
  
• Yet Another Barrett Botch Job describes how Barrett sent 15-year-old S.C. home with retained tissue, then didn't return her mother's calls when the girl was was in shock from infection.
  
  
• Scott Barrett Wrap-up summarizes what I'd covered in the series.

And abortion supporters insist that if we just gave guys like this tax money to ply their trades, they'd be less greedy and sloppy. I'm not clear on how funding Scott Barrett would discourage Kermit Gosnells from setting up shop.

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



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