Latest news with #WythenshaweHospital
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Boy, 15, collapsed and died during football game at school just days after doctors wrongly diagnosed him with asthma
A TEENAGE boy who collapsed and died during a football game at school was wrongly diagnosed with asthma just days before, an inquest heard. Jake Lawler, 15, passed away after collapsing at Ashton on Mersey School in Sale, Trafford, on November 5 last year. 2 The court heard a month before his death he attended Wythenshawe Hospital complaining of shortness of breath while playing football. The inquest was told Jake, from Sale, had collapsed on the pitch on October 13, 2024. Alison Mutch, senior coroner for Manchester South, has now written in a Prevention of Future Death report. She warned how medical professionals incorrectly diagnosed the teenager with exercise induced asthma. According to the report, an "abnormal ECG" and an "exercise induced syncope episode", were not recognised or followed up on. Medical history provided by Jake's father was also "not assessed correctly". The coroner concluded the abnormal ECG in combination with the teen's collapse "should have resulted in him being referred for an inpatient paediatric review and further testing". And, when Jake was discharged, his ECG results were wrongly recorded as coming back "normal". Jake's GP prescribed him medication for the misdiagnosed asthma, but it did not seem to have any effect on the youngster. A test for asthma was also conducted five days after Jake collapsed. But the nurse referred him back to a doctor as they did not think he suffered from the condition. The 15-year-old tragically died from a biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy just a month later. The coroner wrote in her report: "It is probable that he would not have died on the day he did had the correct actions been taken. "Jake's collapse was incorrectly attributed to his exercise induced asthma." In her report, four areas of concern were highlighted to help prevent future deaths. She stated Jake's ECG results were "key warning signs" that shouldn't have been missed, whether due to training or insufficient medical equipment. Another "red flag event" laid out was "no clear national guidance" on the route to take after a paediatric exercise induced syncope. The third point spotlighted covered asthma treatment prescribed by the GP, which failed to elevate Jake's symptoms, and the asthma assessment. "Jake was assessed by his GP practice using the national asthma scoring system," wrote the coroner. "However, the scoring system does not appear to facilitate scoring for exercise induced asthma. "In Jake's case the readings and answers pointed to a well-controlled asthma. "This was at variance with the fact that his history indicated that he was continuing to struggle with his breathing when exercising and meant he did not trigger as a concern. "This was exacerbated by the normal peak flow readings taken at rest which gave a falsely reassuring picture." The coroner added there was a "lack of curiosity" and a "lack of appreciation" regarding how limiting the assessment was. "In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths, and I believe you and/or your organisation have the power to take such action," she continued. Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and GP Surgery have until July 4 later this year to respond to the report. Jake's school said at the time of his tragic death: "Our school community was absolutely devastated by the loss of one of our much loved and precious students, Jake Lawler, who recently passed away in tragic circumstances. "As a school, we keep his family and friends in our thoughts and continue to support our students and staff during this incredibly difficult time. "We would also like to take this opportunity to share a link to Jake's memorial fund, set up by his family to raise awareness of a very worthy cause - CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young). "The money will go towards raising awareness of young sudden cardiac death as well as supporting the families affected, supporting their screening programme and funding research and pathology." What is biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy ACM is a condition where the cells in your heart muscle don't stick together properly. The walls of your heart can become weak and blood may not be pumped as well as it should. Your heart has four chambers. The top two are called the atria and the bottom two are called the ventricles. ACM can affect one or both of your ventricle chambers. Jake suffered from biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, meaning it affected both. ACM is usually a genetic condition which means if one of your parents have it, you have a 50/50 chance of inheriting the faulty gene that could cause ACM. ACM symptoms palpitations (a pounding or fluttering feeling in your chest or neck) feeling lightheaded fainting feeling breathless or shortness of breath abnormal heart rhythms (when your heart beats too fast, too slow or irregularly) swollen ankles, legs or tummy area feeling pain or discomfort in your chest. How is ACM diagnosed? Chest x-ray Cardiac MRI scan ECG (electrocardiogram) Exercise test Echocardiogram How is ACM treated?
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Schoolboy, 15, died playing football after heart condition was wrongly diagnosed as asthma by medics with 'lack of curiosity', inquest hears
A 15-year-old schoolboy collapsed and died while playing football after wrongly being diagnosed with asthma by medics with a 'lack of curiosity' an inquest has heard. 'Loved' Jake Lawler, 15, was diagnosed with the common respiratory condition after he complained of 'breathlessness' to his GP, but he actually had a rare genetic heart condition. Jake collapsed and died during a game at Ashton on Mersey School in Sale, Trafford, on November 5 last year. In the weeks before his 'tragic' death, he was taken to hospital after he passed out during a sports game - but was discharged by medics who failed to recognise he had an abnormality in his heart. Coroner Alison Mutch said the Jake's collapse was 'incorrectly attributed' to asthma rather than his heart condition and that if 'correct actions had been taken', he may not have died the following month. Now, she has issued a warning to the Department of Health and Social Care, criticising the 'lack of curiosity' shown by medics who had reviewed Jake in the time preceding his death. Ms Mutch, senior coroner for South Manchester, said the teen had been diagnosed by his GP with exercise-induced asthma and had been prescribed treatments which 'did not have any significant impact on his symptoms'. An inquest into the teenager's death was told that on October 13 last year, he collapsed while playing football and experienced a 'short period of unconsciousness'. Jake's father took him to Wythenshawe Hospital and an ECG - a test that records the electrical activity of the heart - was carried out. The coroner said this showed an abnormality which was noted by the clinician but not recognised as a 'concerning finding'. Further, it was heard that the medical history provided by Jake's father was 'not assessed correctly'. The coroner said the abnormality on the ECG combined with his collapse should have resulted in him being referred for an inpatient paediatric review and for further testing. 'It is probable that he would not have died on the day he did had the correct actions been taken,' Ms Mutch said. 'Jake's collapse was incorrectly attributed to his exercise induced asthma.' The inquest heard Jake was referred back to his GP for a review, which took place by telephone on October 14 and in person on October 18. He was referred to the asthma nurse and a test was conducted on October 31. But the nurse referred him back to the doctor and said 'they did not believe' the teenager had the respiratory condition. There was a plan to refer him to paediatrics as it was 'clear' that the diagnosis of exercise-induced asthma being the cause of his collapse was 'unlikely' and the 'working diagnosis within the discharge summary was probably incorrect'. The coroner said that the 'significance' of this was impacted by the fact the discharge summary had incorrectly described the ECG as 'normal'. The inquest heard that after the fatal collapse attempts to resuscitate Jake were unsuccessful, and he died at Wythenshawe Hospital the following day. The postmortem carried out found he had died as a consequence of having a rare heart disease known as 'biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy'. The genetic condition can cause weakened heart muscle. Returning a narrative conclusion, Ms Mutch said the teen died as a result of the condition which was 'incorrectly diagnosed in life with exercise induced asthma'. The coroner said his collapse and the abnormal ECG were 'not recognised or actioned appropriately'. Ms Mutch identified several 'matters of concern' in relation to Jake's death. In a prevention of future deaths report, she said: 'The diagnosis of exercise induced asthma appeared to be based on a history given at the early stages of his breathlessness being reported to the GP and was not revisited even when he was reporting that the classic treatments were not having a significant impact on his symptoms. 'This was compounded by the exercise induced syncope [collapsing] being incorrectly linked to asthma. 'In addition, Jake was assessed by his GP practice using the national asthma scoring system. 'However, the scoring system does not appear to facilitate scoring for exercise induced asthma.' She said that in Jake's case, his reading and answers in the scoring system pointed to him having 'a well-controlled asthma'. The coroner continued: 'This was at variance with the fact that his history indicated that he was continuing to struggle with his breathing when exercising and meant he did not trigger as a concern. 'This was exacerbated by the normal peak flow readings taken at rest which gave a falsely reassuring picture. 'A lack of curiosity, a lack of appreciation of the limitations of the national scoring system and a non-holistic approach meant that he continued to be seen as asthmatic when all his symptoms were as a result of his undiagnosed biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.' The coroner also raised concerns over how ECG readings are often 'missed or misunderstood by clinicians which means that key warning signs are missed as in Jake's case'. 'Without an improvement there will be further avoidable deaths,' she continued. 'ECGs to rule out a possible cardiac issue cannot easily be given to children in a community setting. 'Jake presented with a clear paediatric exercise induced syncope. 'The inquest was told that there is no clear national guidance on the pathway to be followed in relation to such children although medical training emphasised that this should be treated as a red flag event.' In a statement published on social media following the tragedy, Sale High School expressed support for students and staff. 'Our Sale High School community was absolutely devastated by the loss of one of our much loved and precious students, Jake Lawler, who recently passed away in tragic circumstances,' said the December 10 statement. 'As a school, we keep his family and friends in our thoughts and continue to support our students and staff during this incredibly difficult time.' The coroner issued the report to the Department of Health and Social Care, who have 56 days to respond.
Buzz Feed
07-03-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
Experts Say This Common Bedtime Habit "Can Create A Perfect Environment For Fungus And Bacteria"
Old wives' tales warn that sleeping with wet hair can make you sick or increase your chances of catching a cold, but there isn't any scientific evidence that it can directly cause respiratory illnesses. However, there are risks associated with sleeping with wet hair, including hair and scalp damage. And fungus is involved. When you wake up in the morning after sleeping on wet hair, you may find your hair smelling like mildew, harboring a stale and damp aroma similar to the smell of the early stages of mold forming, said Dusty Schlabach, a hairstylist and owner of Thairapy Salon in South Pasadena, California. 'If the hair is wet, all these conditions contribute to a much slower drying process, and can create a perfect environment for fungus and bacteria to thrive,' Schlabach said. 'If this happens often enough, it can grow into a real problem on the scalp causing yellow discoloration, itchiness, buildup and flakiness. All in all, it's gross. With enough buildup, it even stinks. I see it on new clients all the time.' Fungi flourish in dark, moist and humid environments, and can live on the dead tissue of hair, nails and outer skin layers. As a result, your pillow is a breeding ground for fungus to thrive. A 2005 study by Wythenshawe Hospital and the University of Manchester found that there can be up to 16 types of fungal species found on your pillow. You might also wake up with broken and tangled strands that can be hard to recover to their healthy state, especially for people with curly hair. 'The outside layer of the hair, the cuticle, is meant to expand when wet, and contract as it dries,' Schlabach said. 'If it stays stretched for too long, it can split and crack, compromising the health of that outer layer. It allows way too much penetration from water and products you might be using. This leads to dryness, which leads to brittleness, which leads to breakage, which visibly translates to stringy ends and frizz.' In addition to hair breakage, we asked dermatologists about the types of fungal infections that can form in your hair, how your scalp is affected and what to do if you have to sleep with wet hair. Types Of Fungal Infections Malassezia Malassezia species inhabit the skin of 90% of adults and usually don't cause any harm. The growth of these fungi may be attributed to humidity, sweating and oily skin, which can be a result of sleeping with wet hair. Found in hair follicles, the fungus is also linked to a skin disease called dermatitis, a chronic form of eczema caused by genetic and environmental factors. An excess of Malassezia yeast can cause an immune system reaction that leads to fungal infections and skin changes. Dermatitis is a broad category of conditions that share one common trait: they all cause inflammation of the skin, explained Dr. Peter Lio, an eczema expert and clinical assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. 'Typically this manifests as redness, swelling, scaling and dryness, but in more severe cases can actually cause things to open up and become oozing wounds,' said Lio, who is also a member of the National Eczema Association. 'On the scalp, the most common forms of dermatitis are seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis, close cousins that typically manifest with flaking and scaling dandruff, dryness, and itch.' Scalp Ringworm Ringworm, or tinea capitis, is a fungal infection of the scalp hair. The fungi can make their way into your hair, affecting keratin and tissue, which causes your hair to become brittle and break. These fungi and their spores can remain on combs, brushes, unwashed towels, furniture and sheets for long periods. Although most cases of scalp ringworm are caught from other people with the infection, one of the risk factors includes warm and humid environments where fungal spores may grow. Since fungi grow in wet environments, having wet skin or a wet scalp for a long period of time makes you more susceptible to developing the fungal infection. 'Despite the term 'ringworm,' there is no actual worm causing the rash,' explained Dr. Margarita Lolis, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in Hackensack, New Jersey. 'It got the name because of the circular patches it causes.' The infection usually starts with red, round patches on the skin that may look like dandruff, causing itchiness, scale formation and alopecia. Similar to symptoms of dermatitis, ringworm can lead to patches of hair loss. Although scalp ringworm is not a dangerous condition, it is contagious, Lolis said. 'If left untreated, it can lead to severe inflammation called kerion, which can drain pus and cause thick crusting on the scalp.' Black Piedra This rarer fungal infection affects the hair shafts by attaching to the hair and forming black nodules. Breakage of the hair can occur as a result of the nodules, and without treatment, the fungal infection may cause alopecia. Black piedra is common in people with long hair with excessive hair oils, usually forming in hot and humid environments. Unlike other forms of fungal infections, black piedra is asymptomatic and normal hair can be restored. However, it can be chronic, lasting for months or even years. If You Sleep With Wet Hair, Try... Drying Your Hair It might be time to switch your shower schedule or try to let your hair air-dry before bed. However, if you don't have the time to wait for your hair to dry, blow-drying your hair might be better than sleeping with it wet. 'If a client needs to or prefers to shower at night, I'd highly recommend drying it before bed. For curly hair, use a diffuser to avoid heat damage,' Schlabach said. 'I tell my clients, 'If it's too hot for your skin, it's too hot for your hair.'' If you find yourself sleeping with wet hair regardless, it might be time to integrate products that can help prevent breakage and fungal infections. Using A Silk Pillow If you like to shower after a long day and don't have time for your hair to dry, a silk pillow can help to save your hair. Using a silk pillow can provide less friction on your hair when you're sleeping — even with wet hair, according to The Sleep Foundation, a non-profit that provides expert information for sleep issues. Lea Brown, a hairstylist at Shine Aveda Salon + Spa in Sparks, Nevada, agreed. 'Wet hair is weak and can safely stretch up to 30% of its original length, stretching any further will cause breakage,' Brown told HuffPost. 'So, it's best to sleep with a silk or moisture-wicking fabric to prevent friction. Friction equals frizzy hair and breakage. Hair will have less shine, fullness and strength.' Although a silk pillow can help to prevent breakage while you're sleeping, it doesn't completely prevent hair damage. Using Anti-Fungal Products Anti-fungal products such as shampoos and creams work to kill the yeast on your scalp and hair that causes infection and to prevent it from coming back. However, they do not clear the infection fully. In addition to skin and hair products, oral anti-fungal medications might also be needed to treat infections that reach the root of the infected hair follicles. They can be prescribed by your doctor. 'Products that do treat the fungus, unfortunately, wind up drying out the hair, leaving it brittle and dull, leading to breakage and frizz,' Schlabach said. 'If they only knew to stop sleeping with wet hair in the first place — they wouldn't need to trade one issue for another.' Switching Your Shower Routine If you can make time to shower in the morning, it can help promote skin and hair health, Lolis said. 'Morning showers help combat oily hair and scalp. If you wash your hair at night, by the time you wake up it could still look oily. To ensure a fresh and clean style, it's best to wash in the morning.' Additionally, since our body releases toxins and bacteria, such as sweat, while we're sleeping, showering in the morning removes sweat and buildup. 'There is no right or wrong time to shower, but the most important thing to remember is to ensure you are using lukewarm, not boiling hot water, and gentle soap to cleanse,' Lolis said.
