Coronial
WAhospital

Inquest into the Death of Baby JDU

Deceased

Baby JDU

Demographics

0y, male

Date of death

2018-03-05

Finding date

2021-01-04

Cause of death

Scimitar syndrome

AI-generated summary

An 11-week-old term infant (Baby JDU) died from Scimitar syndrome, a rare congenital heart and lung disorder with bilateral complications including pulmonary hypoplasia, venous obstruction, and severe pulmonary hypertension. The infant received intensive care at Princess Margaret Hospital including cardiac catheterisation and emergency surgery. The coroner found that care provided by both the paediatric cardiology and intensive care teams was of a very high standard. Medical management included oxygen therapy, ventilation, inotropic support, nitric oxide, sildenafil, and eventual palliative care. The child was in Department of Communities (child welfare) care due to parental substance misuse. The coroner found the Department's care, supervision, and financial support (accommodation and transport) for family visits to be of an acceptable standard, despite family requests for greater support.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.

Specialties

cardiologyneonatologyintensive carecardiothoracic surgeryrespiratory medicinepathology

Drugs involved

sildenafilnitric oxideantibiotics

Clinical conditions

scimitar syndromecongenital heart diseasedextrocardiapulmonary hypoplasiapulmonary hypertensionanomalous pulmonary venous returnpulmonary venous stenosisrespiratory distress syndromeaspiration pneumoniasupraventricular tachycardiacardiac arrhythmia

Procedures

CPAPintubationmechanical ventilationechocardiographyCT scancardiac catheterisationcardiac surgerypulmonary venous obstruction repair

Contributing factors

  • Severe bilateral lung hypoplasia
  • Right hemi anomalous pulmonary venous return
  • Bilateral pulmonary venous stenosis
  • Severe pulmonary hypertension
  • Severe right pulmonary artery hypoplasia
  • Left pulmonary venous obstruction
  • Dextroposition of heart
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