June 14, 2005: Medical abortion fatal for California attorney

Oriane Shevin

Oriane Shevin, age 34, was an attorney in Sherman Oaks, California. She and her husband had two young children, ages 3 and 4. There is no record of why Oriane chose to abort their sibling, but she did make that decision. One thing is clear -- there was no health reason for this decision. Oriane was in robust good health when she made a choice that would turn out to be fatal. 

She got abortion drugs at the Eve Surgical Center in West Los Angeles in June of 2005. She took the mifepristone on June 8 and vaginally inserted the misoprostol on June 10. 

Misoprostol is supposed to be administered by inserting it between the cheek and gum, not inserted vaginally. For reasons that are still being explored, vaginal administration of misoprostol is associated with rapid-onset fatal toxic shock syndrome. Thought this has resulted in the deaths of Holly Patterson, Hoa Thuy “Vivian” Tran, Brenda Vise, Amber Thurmond, and Alyona Dixon, abortion-rights activists continue to encourage women to administer the drug vaginally -- and to lie about having done so if they need to go to the hospital. This increases the risk of death by preventing doctors from quickly taking appropriate measures.

The coroner's office was not able to determine if any physician saw or examined Oriane at the abortion facility. Both Christopher Dotson, M.D. and Josepha Seletz, M.D. are associated with the facility. 

Oriane sickened three days after taking the drugs. She was suffering from severe pain and heavy bleeding, and was rushed by ambulance to Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center, where she died on June 14 from severe metabolic acidosis and sepsis. 

Oriane's family sued both doctors, who agreed to pay a $1million settlement due to their failure to provide Oriane with adequate medical supervision after dispensing the drugs.

Dotson has a spotted history. At the time of Oriane's abortion, Dotson had not yet completed eight years medical board probation for gross negligence and incompetence in causing the death of an obstric patient identified as "RJI" on February 3, 1992. The board said that Dotson "was grossly negligent in the care and treatment of RJI." He failed to take an adequate exam, failed to classify her as a high risk pregnancy, failed to heed the risk of severe bleeding, failed to have appropriate equipment for monitoring, and failed to transfuse her in a timely way, having left the room while she was still bleeding. Dotson had also been investigated in 1993 after Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital of Los Angeles had reported him for being negligent in the treatment of six women.

Dotson had also worked at San Vicente Hospital, a notorious abortion mill that was bought out by Family Planning Associates Medical Group. San Vicente was where Sara Lint, Natalie Meyers, Joyce Ortenzio, Laniece Dorsey, and Mary Pena underwent their fatal abortions.

Margaret Davis died of sickle cell crisis after an abortion performed by Dotson on July 25, 1971.

Despite his appalling record, Dotson, through his Eve Surgical Center, was practicing under the auspices of the National Abortion Federation.

AI summary of autopsy:

* June 8 & 10, took mifepristone and misprotol, 6-7 weeks

Admitted to Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center 6/14/05 due to severe abdominal pain; aggressive live saving effects fruitless, died 10:41 am on June 14.

Autopsy done June 16

Final report completed in July
Clostridium sordellii is very aggressive and produces toxins. Her uterine lining and muscle wall becames inflamed, bloody, and necrotic. 

Toxins in the blood (not the bacteria) caused massive inflammatory response. Immeune system caused blood pressure to drop, organs to fail, fluid to leak into body cavities, and heart and lungs to struggle

Early phase would have been cramping and bleeding from the abortion. The pain became much more severe than expected. She felt massively unwell. Her pulse raced, her skin became cold and clammy, she became short of breath and likely confused and disoriented. Treatmetn would have been aggressive and immediate -- IV fluids, antibiotics, pain meds, oxygen, entubation, finally losing consciousness. Heart stopped. Multiple attemtps to resuscitae failed. She likely was frightened and overwhelmed.

Sources:

• "Deaths after abortion pill use to be studied by regulators," The (Palm Springs, CA) Desert Sun, Nov. 24, 2005
• "Troubled Doctor Oversaw Another," Los Angeles Times, February 3, 2010