Mum died of sepsis after 'GP said it was ear infection and prescribed a spray'
A mum-of-three died of sepsis after she was diagnosed by a GP as having an ear infection and sent home with a topical spray to treat it, an inquest heard.
Two days later, having called an ambulance, a medic failed to notice a blue tinge on Charlotte Alderson's lips and said she didn't need to go to hospital as her symptoms were 'generally within normal range'. The swimming instructor, from Suffolk, collapsed an hour later and despite the efforts of paramedics died at her home.
Her inquest heard she had suffered from multi-organ failure due to septic shock, due to the bacterial infection Strep A. Now, Darren Stewart - area coroner for Suffolk - has called for the 'expeditious development' of measures which assist medics in the early identification and treatment of sepsis.
The inquest was told that Mrs Alderson first reported feeling unwell on December 17, 2022. Some two days later, she visited her GP surgery, but medical professionals observed that her symptoms were 'within normal range'.
A clinical scoring system, called Centor, to test for Strep A was used but this indicated that no antibiotics were required. Mrs Alderson was diagnosed with an outer ear infection and was given a prescription for a topical antibiotic spray.
The swimming instructor was told to return to her GP if her symptoms worsened. On December 20, Mrs Alderson reported feeling better, but then in the evening her condition deteriorated and she suffered bouts of sickness and diarrhoea throughout the night.
The following morning, at around 11am, her husband Stuart Alderson checked on her and observed a 'blue tinge' on her lips. He called 111 and an ambulance was dispatched.
While the service was en route, Mrs Alderson's symptoms again worsened, which prompted Mr Alderson to make an additional call to 999. The ambulance arrived at 11:57am and a senior emergency medical technician carried out a clinical assessment on Mrs Alderson.
The responder did not see blue-tinged lips and found that apart from a 'slightly elevated' temperature and heart rate, observations were 'generally within normal range'. The coroner said: "With no requirement identified for immediate hospitalisation, the ambulance left at 13:15."
"Mrs Alderson's conditioned worsened further and her husband left to purchase pain relief. Upon his return, he found Mrs Alderson in a state of collapse. She was unconscious but breathing."
Mr Alderson immediately called 999 at 14:09 and during this call, his wife had stopped breathing. An ambulance arrived at 14:26 and despite attempts to resuscitate Mrs Alderson, the swimming instructor sadly passed away.
A post-mortem examination carried out after her death revealed she had group A streptococcus, a common type of bacteria infection. A jury inquest concluded Mrs Alderson died of natural causes.
The medical cause of death was multi-organ failure due to septic shock, arising from the rapid progression of a bacterial infection into the bloodstream. Mr Stewart said he has several 'matters of concern' regarding the circumstances of Mrs Alderson's death.
He said there are two scoring systems - Feverpain and Centor - used by clinicians to assess infections in patients and these can produce different outcomes. The coroner said: "It is possible in Mrs Alderson's case that the use of the Feverpain scoring system (as opposed to Centor) may have made a difference by indicating a prescription for antibiotics, which if taken on the day she was assessed by her GP, may have resulted in a different outcome.
"There is a need to review these scoring systems, drawing upon the most effective elements of each, with a view to providing guidance on a single scoring system that can consistently be applied by clinicians."
He continued: "Evidence received during the Inquest indicated that a number of existing measures within the National Health Service are capable of modification to provide testing tools for the early identification of sepsis/risk of sepsis and which would better inform decisions to prescribe antibiotics. These include CRP, finger prick and lateral flow tests.
"The risks associated with sepsis and the speed with which a rapid deterioration can occur in patients without clear warning signs of sepsis being present, are well known. There is therefore a need for the expeditious development of measures which assist clinicians in the early identification and treatment of sepsis."
The coroner also raised concerns about the system used by 111 call handlers.
This was after hearing of how it can fail on occasion and mean that ambulances need to be booked manually over the phone rather than automatically.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Daily Mail
I contracted a virus from a friend's toilet that caused sepsis... here is why you need to be careful
A woman has issued a stark warning about using shared bathrooms after contracting a dangerous virus that left her with sepsis and took her almost a year to recover from. JaMarriae Lawrence, who goes by Mars, was working overnight at a Walmart distribution center in Virginia last year when she was hit with a 'sudden, excruciating' pain in her stomach. Mars, who lives in Newport News, recalled the pain being so severe she couldn't even stand upright. 'I wrapped up what I was doing, slouched over, and made my way to the front,' the 20-year-old told She immediately left work and went to the local hospital, where they ran blood work, CT scans, and collected urine. 'They suspected ovarian cysts or an appendix rupture but ultimately said I was likely fighting a virus,' she explained. 'Since it didn't seem life-threatening, they sent me home.' However, Mars' condition worsened, and she began throwing up every few hours. Concerned, she went to a different hospital and was told the same thing. '[They told me] "Your bloodwork shows you're fighting something, but it's not life-threatening,"' she recalled. 'Again, I was sent home.' However, that night, the content creator and singer began 'vomiting and having diarrhea at the same time.' Noticing how sick she was, her mom took her to another hospital. 'They ran more tests and finally discovered I was septic,' she shared. 'I was hospitalized. They gave me fluids and ran stool and urine cultures.' After running more in-depth tests, doctors found that she had C. difficile (C. diff) in her stool and Mycoplasma hominis in her urine, with Mars saying she contracted the virus from using a bathroom from someone who also suffered from the illness. Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is a type of bacteria that can cause inflammation of the colon, known as colitis, which can cause diarrhea and more serious intestinal conditions. Mycoplasma hominis causes pain or burning during urination, genital discharge, and pelvic pain or discomfort. Mars was treated with antibiotics and discharged after a week - but that wasn't the end of her medical nightmare. 'I felt okay for a few months,' she recalled. 'Around the same time, I visited someone who had C. diff at the same time I did the previous year.' 'I used her bathroom and was shocked to find there was no soap. A month later, my symptoms returned,' Mars shared. 'I told my GI doctor that I suspected I had C. diff again. He ordered a stool test, which confirmed it.' Mars was put on an antibiotic called Dificid, which eventually cleared up her symptoms. 'This whole ordeal began in April 2024, and I am only now beginning to feel relief,' she shared. 'C. diff can be picked up anywhere. What I really want people to understand is this: we've become too comfortable with filth,' she pointed out. 'I see people skip handwashing all the time. People go out in public while sick. They don't finish their antibiotics. And all of this leads to antibiotic-resistant superbugs,' Mars continued. 'In elementary school, our teachers made us wash our hands before lunch. But where is that standard now — in middle school, high school, college? I think we've forgotten basic hygiene. I think we've forgotten empathy,' she declared. 'Some say there's always risk of going to public places, which there is, but C. diff isn't a normal bacteria. It's strong. Contagious. And deadly,' Mars warned. In the US, 500,000 infections cause 15,000 deaths each year, as per the Cleveland Clinic. According to Dr. Steven Goldberg, Chief Medical Officer at HealthTrackRx, C. diff can be spread through toilets and bathrooms - especially in hospitals, nursing homes, or shared facilities. 'C. diff is spread via spores that are shed in the stool of an infected person,' he told 'These spores can survive on surfaces like toilets, sinks, and medical equipment for weeks or months. 'Transmission typically occurs when someone touches a contaminated surface and then their mouth, or through healthcare workers' hands.' Dr. Goldberg added that spores can spread to others if high-touch surfaces like toilets, handles, and sinks are contaminated and not thoroughly disinfected. 'The proper handwashing with soap and water is critical, as alcohol-based sanitizers do not reliably kill C. diff spores,' he urged. '[C. diff] most commonly leads to watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, and in severe cases, life-threatening complications,' Dr. Goldberg said. 'C. diff often occurs after antibiotic use, which disrupts normal gut bacteria and allows C. diff to overgrow.'
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
West Sussex boy wants to 'enjoy life' after losing legs to sepsis
A 13-year-old boy who lost both legs to sepsis says he is getting his strength back and looking forward to the future, a year after being placed in an induced first went into hospital in June 2024 with leg pain. He later developed a life-threatening blood infection and underwent months of treatment, including two induced comas and care at Evelina London Children's teenager, from Rusper in West Sussex, had his left leg amputated in August 2024 and his right in February 2025 after efforts to save it fitted with prosthetic limbs, Austin said: "I can't change what happened in the past, but I can change what is in front of me." Austin has returned to school and has had to learn to walk again. He said: "So much has changed - I'm getting my strength back and trying new things."He first became unwell after complaining of leg pain. His grandmother noticed the tips of his ears turning blue and he was taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with sepsis, the life-threatening blood infection. He was placed in a coma for three he developed a secondary infection and was induced into a coma father, Warwick, said: "My wife and I were told to prepare for the worst. "In life a lot of people take their health for granted, and so did we, but suddenly you realise how fragile it is."It makes you focus on what is important in life." A keen sportsperson, Austin has swapped hockey for wheelchair tennis and basketball. He is also rowing with Paralympic gold medallist Rachel Morris."I'm just trying so many different things and enjoying life," he said.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Grandmother died of sepsis after being misdiagnosed with stomach complaint
A grandmother died of sepsis after doctors failed to recognise signs of a urinary tract obstruction, a coroner has found. Suzanne Edwards, 71, of Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, visited her GP on Nov 29 2024 with abdominal pain and vomiting but despite urgent blood and urine tests she was not sent to hospital. Later that day her symptoms worsened and she went to A&E at Milton Keynes University Hospital, Bucks. Her test results were indicative of systemic inflammation and dehydration but she was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and discharged. Her condition deteriorated further and the following day her family called NHS 111. She was directed to an urgent care centre and transferred to Bedford Hospital where clinicians identified a 7mm stone in her urinary tract and sepsis. She underwent emergency surgery but died later on the evening of Dec 1 from septic shock. 'Heart of our family' Stacey Edwards, her daughter, said: 'My mum was the heart of our family – full of warmth, compassion and humour. 'It's devastating to know that her death may have been avoided if the signs of sepsis had been recognised sooner.' Her family described her as 'an unbelievably kind and caring woman with a wicked sense of humour and fun'. She leaves behind husband Terence, two children and two granddaughters. Stacey said: 'When she visited her GP she was so unwell she used a wheelchair. 'After she was taken to A&E we were told it was likely gastroenteritis. She was given IV fluids and pain relief but she was still in pain and struggling. 'There was very little communication from doctors and when she was discharged we were simply told to come back if symptoms returned. 'At home, things got worse. But because she'd been examined by medical professionals we thought she just needed time to recover. 'The call we received later that evening asking us to come in urgently is something we'll never forget. 'Neither is watching her suffer in those final days.' Jewellery went missing Soon after her death Mrs Edwards' family realised her jewellery worth thousands of pounds – three necklaces and four bracelets – were missing. Stacey said: 'Mum never took off her jewellery. 'It is heartbreaking to think someone may have taken advantage of such a tragic situation.' Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust launched a full investigation and search at the time but the items were never found. Tom Osborne, the senior coroner for Milton Keynes, recorded a narrative verdict saying there was a failure to recognise the signs of a urinary tract obstruction, leading to missed opportunities to treat Mrs Edwards before sepsis developed.
