Latest news with #septicshock
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Pippa White's death in NSW hospital was preventable and ‘system failed her', medical experts tell inquest
The septic shock death of a two-year-old girl in a regional New South Wales hospital was preventable, senior medical experts told an inquest. Pippa Mae White died on 13 June 2022, two months before her third birthday, after doctors at the hospitals in Cowra and Orange wrongly assumed she had an acute viral illness rather than the serious bacterial infection that killed her. Giving evidence on Wednesday at the coronial inquest into her death, a 'conclave of experts' who weren't involved in Pippa's treatment said she should have been checked and treated for potential sepsis much earlier than she was. The NSW deputy state coroner Joan Baptie is examining whether Pippa's death was preventable and whether she received appropriate care in Cowra and Orange, and from the Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service team. The inquest previously heard that Pippa presented to Cowra hospital about 2pm on 12 June 2022 with a fever, vomiting, and a heart rate of 171 beats per minute, considered in the 'red zone' for sepsis. She did not have a blood test until nearly 4am on 13 June, after she was transferred to Orange, which revealed she had a serious infection. She was administered antibiotics and given a chest X-ray, which showed she had pneumonia that had caused a 'complete whiteout' of her left lung. She suffered two cardiac arrests and died just after 1pm. Five of the seven medical experts who submitted a joint report to the inquest gave oral evidence on Wednesday: Prof Simon Craig, Prof John Raftos, Prof Warwick Butt, Prof Adam Irwin and Associate Prof Phillip Braslins, along with GP Robert Morton. While there was some disagreement on when the paediatric sepsis pathway should have been activated for Pippa, all the doctors agreed investigations into possible sepsis – including blood tests – should have been started much sooner than they were. The experts agreed medical staff became 'anchored' on the wrong diagnosis of a viral illness. They stressed the importance making 'serial observations' of vital signs heart rate and oxygen saturation more frequently than was done in Pippa's case. The inquest was previously shown a video of Pippa in the Cowra emergency department making a 'grunting' noise while breathing, which the doctors on Wednesday said would have been identifiable with a stethoscope. Raftos said Pippa was already a 'very sick' and 'lethargic' child when she was taken to Cowra and she needed a rapid response. He said if medical staff in Cowra didn't have the capacity to treat Pippa right away, as the inquest previously heard, they should have arranged for an ambulance to take her to Orange, or for her mother, Annah, to drive her there. Raftos said the alternative was 'doing nothing, which is what they did'. Craig said the 'make or break' point when 'things went absolutely wrong' was at 1am on 13 June when there were 'delays in escalation' at Orange hospital despite Pippa having become 'critically ill'. The junior doctor in charge of looking after Pippa in Orange, Dr Christopher Morris, last year cried in the witness box as he gave evidence to the inquest and said he wished he had called a rapid response earlier in the night. The experts on Wednesday said the senior paediatrician on-call the night Pippa was admitted, Prof Adam Buckmaster, should have assessed her that evening. The inquest previously heard he didn't attend the hospital until the morning of 13 June. Most of the experts agreed Pippa should have had her blood tested and been administered antibiotics around 9pm on 12 June after arriving at the hospital. 'She should have been on the [sepsis pathway], she should have had an IV [intravenous drip] inserted, she should have had bloods done, and she should have had antibiotics given. I think it's very clear,' Butt said. 'I believe the death was preventable, and that means the system failed her,' Butt said. The inquest continues, with a final block of hearings expected later this year.
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Pippa White ‘probably' died of uncommon bacterial infection, inquest hears
A senior official who oversees the emergency transport of critically ill children in New South Wales believes two-year-old Pippa Mae White's septic shock death was the result of an 'absolutely devastating' bacterial infection, an inquest has heard. Kathryn Browning Carmo, an associate professor in neonatology and acting director of the Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service team (Nets), on Tuesday told an inquest into Pippa's death the young girl likely had Group A Strep. Pippa died on 13 June 2022, two months before her third birthday, after doctors and nurses at the hospitals in Cowra and Orange assumed she had an acute viral illness. The deputy state coroner, Joan Baptie, is examining whether her death was preventable and whether she received appropriate medical care. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Giving evidence at the inquest, Browning Carmo said that from late 2022 until early 2024, there was an increase in cases of invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS). During that period, 77 cases were referred to Nets and four of these children died, she said. Browning Carmo said although Pippa's blood was not tested for the disease, she thought the girl 'probably' had it. The cases and the fatalities recorded by Nets were documented in a paper published last week in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, which said 40% of the patients displayed clinical signs of septic shock. Only five cases of iGAS had been detected in the five years before late 2022, Browning Carmo told the inquest. Browning Carmo said iGAS was an 'absolutely devastating illness' that was much more aggressive than other bacterial infections of this nature and which resulted in 'catastrophic' cases of sepsis, a potential fatal inflammatory response to an infection. The inquest previously heard that Pippa was presented to Cowra hospital about 2pm on 12 June 2022 with a fever, vomiting, and a heart rate of 171 beats per minute, considered in the 'red zone' for sepsis. She did not have a blood test until nearly 4am on 13 June, after she was transferred to Orange hospital, which revealed she had a serious infection. She was administered antibiotics and given a chest X-ray, which showed she had pneumonia that had caused a 'complete whiteout' of her left lung. Browning Carmo on Tuesday told the inquest she had seen cases of children with iGAS who appeared to be 'very comfortable' only to have their lungs very quickly fill with fluid. 'They could have no pleural effusion to complete whiteout within hours,' she said. 'It was an absolutely devastating illness.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The inquest previously heard doctors at Orange called the Nets team just after 6.10am to take Pippa to Westmead children's hospital. A plan was made at 8.30am to put Pippa in an induced coma and intubate her before her chest was drained. But this didn't occur immediately because the operating theatre was busy, the inquest heard. Because of shift changes and weather, the Nets team didn't arrive until 10.10am. Pippa never left Orange – she suffered two cardiac arrests and died just after 1pm. Her parents, Annah and Brock, are pushing for reforms to the way possible paediatric sepsis cases are treated and to empower families of sick children to escalate their concerns. The paediatric nurse in charge of Pippa's care in Orange, Roslyn Sadler, on Tuesday told the inquest she could recall Annah telling her she had asked for her daughter's blood to be tested when she was in the hospital's emergency department. The executive director of nursing at the Western NSW local health district, Associate Prof Adrian Fahy, told the inquest it was 'quite remarkable' hospital staff didn't investigate the possibility of sepsis. 'Sepsis training had been really quite prevalent across NSW health for a number of years,' he said. 'I was concerned to see sepsis hadn't been considered and the sepsis pathway hadn't been referred to.' The inquest continues.
The Independent
24-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
‘My daughter went into hospital with flu symptoms – and ended up a quadruple amputee'
A student who went into hospital thinking she had the flu ended up losing all four of her limbs to a rare but aggressive infection. Lily McGarry, 23, had flu-like symptoms on 14 January when her flatmates took her to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff – but she rapidly deteriorated within hours. The 23-year-old developed a rash while waiting in A&E, which signalled alarm bells for medical staff, who hurriedly treated her for septic shock. She was later diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia, a severe type of blood poisoning that is caused by the same kind of bacteria that cause the most common form of bacterial meningitis. The Cardiff University medical student suffered two cardiac arrests, spent two weeks in a coma, and suffered brain, spleen and liver damage. She also had to have all four of her limbs shortened in surgeries that took place over five weeks. She is still in hospital. Her mother Jo Gorrod, 54, told The Independent of the 'terrifying' moment she found out what had happened to her daughter. The 54-year-old was in Melbourne, Australia, visiting her other daughter, having spoken to the 23-year-old on the phone who said she was feeling unwell but being taken care of. But just hours later, Ms Gorrod, of Jersey, said: 'I had a phone call from the hospital asking for consent for her to intubated, and at the time they had to put her into an induced coma. 'We were there within 48 hours with her. 'You don't sleep – you just, every moment, I'm not a religious person, but pray in whatever way, just thinking 'hang in, just hang in till I get there'. 'Since that point we've lost her probably about five times, she's been very close to not making it – so it's not as if you're going through it once but multiple times.' The family are now fundraising for Ms McGarry's treatment, including for prosthetic limbs, having so far raised more than £378,000 on their GoFundMe page. Ms McGarry was an avid swimmer, runner, and surfer before her illness and is determined to return to doing these sports again – as well as to complete her medical degree. Her family are also calling on people to ensure they get the meningitis vaccine, including for the B strain, which is not a routine injection. And they are aiming to raise awareness of sepsis, urging people to look out for the warning signs, such as discoloured skin or a rash that does not fade, flu-like symptoms, and breathing difficulties. Ms Gorrod explained that had her daughter gone to A&E any earlier or later then she may not have made it due to the rapid onset of the infection and how difficult it is to spot. But the 23-year-old is determined in her recovery journey, described as an 'optimist, strong and funny' by her mother. 'She has a smile which lights up the room,' said Ms Gorrod. 'She is genuinely happy to see people, always asking other people how they're doing, and grateful for the care she's had. ''Yes, there are going to be challenges, but it doesn't stop me from trying' – Lily is of that mindset, she wants to do things herself, she wants her independence.'
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
‘My daughter went into hospital with flu symptoms – and left a quadruple amputee'
A student who went into hospital thinking she had the flu ended up losing all four of her limbs to a rare but aggressive infection. Lily McGarry, 23, had flu-like symptoms on 14 January when her flatmates took her to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff – but she rapidly deteriorated within hours. The 23-year-old developed a rash while waiting in A&E, which signalled alarm bells for medical staff, who hurriedly treated her for septic shock. She was later diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia, a severe type of blood poisoning that is caused by the same kind of bacteria that cause the most common form of bacterial meningitis. The Cardiff University medical student suffered two cardiac arrests, spent two weeks in a coma, and suffered brain, spleen and liver damage. She also had to have all four of her limbs shortened in surgeries that took place over five weeks. Her mother Jo Gorrod, 54, told The Independent of the 'terrifying' moment she found out what had happened to her daughter. The 54-year-old was in Melbourne, Australia, visiting her other daughter, having spoken to the 23-year-old on the phone who said she was feeling unwell but being taken care of. But just hours later, Ms Gorrod, of Jersey, said: 'I had a phone call from the hospital asking for consent for her to intubated, and at the time they had to put her into an induced coma. 'We were there within 48 hours with her. 'You don't sleep – you just, every moment, I'm not a religious person, but pray in whatever way, just thinking 'hang in, just hang in till I get there'. 'Since that point we've lost her probably about five times, she's been very close to not making it – so it's not as if you're going through it once but multiple times.' The family are now fundraising for Ms McGarry's treatment, including for prosthetic limbs, having so far raised more than £378,000 on their GoFundMe page. Ms McGarry was an avid swimmer, runner, and surfer before her illness and is determined to return to doing these sports again – as well as to complete her medical degree. Her family are also calling on people to ensure they get the meningitis vaccine, including for the B strain, which is not a routine injection. And they are aiming to raise awareness of sepsis, urging people to look out for the warning signs, such as discoloured skin or a rash that does not fade, flu-like symptoms, and breathing difficulties. Ms Gorrod explained that had her daughter gone to A&E any earlier or later then she may not have made it due to the rapid onset of the infection and how difficult it is to spot. But the 23-year-old is determined in her recovery journey, described as an 'optimist, strong and funny' by her mother. 'She has a smile which lights up the room,' said Ms Gorrod. 'She is genuinely happy to see people, always asking other people how they're doing, and grateful for the care she's had. ''Yes, there are going to be challenges, but it doesn't stop me from trying' – Lily is of that mindset, she wants to do things herself, she wants her independence.'
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Boy (8) who sued Children's Health Ireland settles action with €2m interim payment
A boy who allegedly suffered a brain injury as a baby after he went into severe septic shock weeks after surgery at a Dublin hospital has settled a High Court action with an interim €2 million lump sum payment. Evan McCurry will also get €250,000 a year for the next four years as part of the settlement against Children's Health Ireland (CHI). His counsel, Oonah McCrann SC, instructed by Cantillons Solicitors, told the court that Evan, who was born with complex congenital heart disease, had to have a number of surgeries after his birth. He had a surgical procedure at Children's Health Ireland, Crumlin, Dublin on September 5th, 2017, related to his condition. READ MORE He was scheduled for discharge a few weeks later, but counsel said it was the family's case that he developed a wound infection and septic shock, which she said had 'catastrophic consequences' for him and his family. The case settled on day four of the hearing and the settlement is without an admission of liability. CHI said it did not overlook any obvious signs of evolving infection, but that the boy had suffered a rapid onset of systemic infection in or around the early hours of September 26th, 2017, for which he was treated appropriately. It contended the boy's brain injury was not caused by any alleged breach of duty but by severe septic shock caused by a highly virulent infection. Ms McCrann told the court that Evan, now aged eight, is cognitively impaired but is a happy boy. A full defence, she said, was entered in the case, and it was claimed by CHI that sepsis developed very quickly over a number of hours and could not have been picked up at an earlier stage. Evan, from Stoneybatter, Dublin, had through his mother Helen McCurry sued CHI. In the proceedings it was claimed between September 20th and September 26th, 2017, the boy had allegedly displayed the history and symptoms of an infection at the site of his operation wound. It was claimed there was a failure to investigate, diagnose or treat it in time or at all, with the result that he went on to suffer septic shock or a watershed stroke. There was, it was alleged, failure to give any or any adequate attention to signs of wound infection, and failure to pay any proper attention to worsening signs of wound infection, including vomiting, on September 23rd, 2017. There was also, it was claimed, a failure to have commenced antibiotic treatment, at the latest on September 23rd, 2017. It was also alleged there was failure to treat effectively the baby's wound infection before the development of septic shock and associated watershed stroke. All of the claims were denied. Approving the settlement and adjourning the case to 2030, Mr Justice Paul Coffey said he was satisfied the settlement was fair and reasonable and he was delighted it had been resolved.
