Sophie had an idea. She took the elevator to the lower floor
and the medical records office. When she was let in, she asked
if she could see her medical record—the electronic version. The
woman set her up at a table with a laptop opened to Sophie’s
medical record. Sophie scrolled through, seeing the exact same
thing she had seen on the paper chart. All the labor and delivery
information was the same.
When she got to the last page of the medical notes, there
was an addendum: PTL due to PROM. She read it again, then
googled the acronyms. Preterm labor due to premature rupture of
membranes. She looked to be sure she had the correct chart. What
is this?
She went and asked for the paper copy of her chart. She scru
tinized every page of her thin chart. Then she saw it. Squeezed
onto the last line of Dr. Wagner’s admitting note were the same
letters: PTL 2° PROM.
“Preterm labor secondary to premature rupture of mem
branes,” Sophie said softly to herself. She made sure the medical
records woman wasn’t watching her and took a picture with her
phone. She went back to the electronic record and looked again.
The date and time of the entry was the same as her discharge
date. She took a picture of that too. She returned the paper and
the electronic charts to the woman at the desk and rushed out.
She had to show this to Adam
