Marr, Hunter Campbell

9y · Male·asthma - acute episode of asthma which became increasingly resistant to Ventolin

Hunter Campbell Marr, a 9-year-old with episodic asthma, was admitted on 2 January 2014 with asthma exacerbation. His parents denied or minimised his asthma diagnosis despite previous PICU admission in 2011. During the January 2014 admission, clinical staff failed to actively assess the parents' understanding of asthma management or escalate concerns about parental denial of the diagnosis. The discharge on 5 January was clinically appropriate based on examination findings, but there were deficiencies in asthma education delivery and assessment. Hunter deteriorated at home on 6 January and died of acute asthma resistant to Ventolin. Clinical lessons include: actively assessing parental understanding (not just providing information), documenting and escalating parental denial of diagnosis as a risk factor, taking parental concerns about discharge seriously, and ensuring individualised education for families with safety concerns about their child's illness.