Parents believe if their little girl's illness had been correctly tested and treated at the earliest stages she would still be here. Photo / 123rf
Parents believe if their little girl's illness had been correctly tested and treated at the earliest stages she would still be here. Photo / 123rf
An "active" little girl died unexpectedly after doctors at an Auckland hospital failed to find the cause of her lung infection, an investigation reveals.
"We felt helpless and only trusted that doctors could help her. Unfortunately, my daughter never got better," the grieving mother told New Zealand's health watchdog.
The Health and Disability Commission (HDC) investigated the care prior to the 6-year-old's death, in 2017, after a complaint lodged by the parents suggested it wasn't good enough.
"We believe that if her illness had been correctly tested and treated at the earliest stages my daughter would not leave us," the mother said in the report.
Today, five years after their tragic loss, they have been given a decision from HDC, finding the hospital in breach of HDC's code of consumers' rights.
Health and Disability Commissioner Morag McDowell said there were numerous missed opportunities by the services involved to investigate more intensively and in a more timely way.
"While I am unable to determine whether an earlier diagnosis and treatment would have altered the course of the girl's condition, I am critical she did not receive timely investigations, and was prevented from being afforded appropriate treatment earlier," McDowell said in the report.
The names of the doctors, family and the girl who died were not given in the report, with HDC citing privacy reasons.
In 2017, the girl was rushed to the emergency department with a three-day cough and fever. She was discharged with a likely diagnosis of a lung infection (pneumonia), the HDC report said.
Two days later, she was admitted to hospital for treatment of pneumonia.
She was transferred to another hospital briefly, but was readmitted to the first hospital for treatment of excess fluid build-up in her right lung.
She was moved into the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) where she underwent surgery.
However, she continued to worsen, and about a week later she was put on life support.
It was unclear at that stage what the cause of the severe pneumonia was. Later testing revealed she had influenza B.
A CT scan showed she had suffered a "devastating brain bleed" that wasn't survivable.
The following day, she was taken off life support measures, and died in her mother's arms.
McDowell said that during the girl's second admission, and prior to her transfer to another hospital, there was a failure to recognise her deterioration, and a lack of consistent and timely escalation of her care.
Health and Disability Commissioner Morag McDowell said there were numerous missed opportunities to investigate more intensively and in a more timely way. Photo /Dean Purcell
"The cause of her illness was not investigated adequately in a timely manner, and the resulting diagnostic delays meant that empiric antibiotics were not started in a timely manner," she said.
"We lost our dearest daughter ... I am writing in tears, my husband and I blame ourselves for losing such a lovely daughter and she is greatly missed by her family and friends."
Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) – Te Toka Tumai Auckland (TTTA), formerly Auckland District Health Board, acknowledged the delay in diagnosis, saying its clinical guidelines for pneumonia tests were not clear and had since been amended.
"We sincerely apologise for this omission in her care."
The commissioner recommended the hospital provide a written letter of apology to the family for their failures.
McDowell ordered TTTA to communicate changes to its guidelines to other hospitals, audit compliance and to remind staff of the importance of full and accurate documentation of clinical care.
