Demographics
5y, male
Coroner
Kirkegaard
Date of death
2022-05-23
Finding date
2024-09-20
Cause of death
Septic shock due to Influenza A infection and bacterial co-infection with Staphylococcus aureus or Group A Streptococcus
AI-generated summary
A 5-year-old boy died from septic shock complicating influenza A with bacterial co-infection (Staphylococcus aureus or Group A Streptococcus). He presented to the ED on 22 May 2022 with fever, abdominal pain, and vomiting, was assessed by a junior doctor supervised by a senior paediatrician, and discharged home with viral illness presumed. Critically, repeat vital signs were not obtained before discharge despite tachycardia (149 bpm) at 7:21 pm. He re-presented moribund 12 hours later in cardiac arrest. Clinical lessons include: sepsis was not actively considered in the differential; the Queensland Paediatric Sepsis Pathway was not used; repeat observations before discharge two hours after the abnormal heart rate were not performed; and the elevated Children's Early Warning Tool score may not have been escalated appropriately. While the coroner acknowledges early clinical assessment appeared reasonable given the non-specific presentation, the case highlights the importance of explicit sepsis consideration, systematic use of sepsis pathways, repeated observations in short-stay units, and appropriate safety netting in febrile children.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
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