Why no apparent concern about the flu vaccine, which seems
to have precipitated the need for oxygen?
- SM
Electronic TelegraphUK News
ISSUE 2092Thursday 15 February 2001
Girl, three, dies after being given wrong gas
By Richard Alleyne and Celia Hall
THE family of a three-year-old girl who died in
hospital after being given "laughing gas" instead of oxygen yesterday
demanded action to end the spate of NHS accidents.
Najiyah Hussain fell ill shortly after having a flu
injection and was taken to hospital suffering from fits. But when she arrived
at Newham General Hospital's Accident and Emergency department she was given
nitrous oxide gas instead of oxygen. A doctor placed a mask over her head to
administer oxygen to aid her breathing.
But he pulled the wrong lever on the side of the
trolley and pure nitrous oxide flooded her lungs. The anaesthetic, usually
administered in small doses, reduced her heart rate within seconds and she
suffered a heart attack. She was immediately rushed to intensive care and
placed on a life support machine.
But at 7pm on Jan 18 it was agreed that nothing more
could be done for her and the machine was turned off. Najiyah, from Manor Park,
east London, had suffered a seizure before but this is not thought to be
connected with the flu injection. Yesterday her family demanded an
investigation into her death and called for a review of NHS procedures.
Her father Akmul Hussain, 41, a self-employed leather
goods importer from Bangladesh, said: "When I was told it was a mistake I
was so full of grief. The whole family was devastated. In my heart I do feel
anger but I realize that I cannot bring Najiyah back. We want to tell people
about what happened for the others. This should not happen again."
Najiyah's sister, Aysha, 21, an accountancy student,
said: "I just don't understand how someone can make such a mistake. The
NHS does not have a good record at the moment. They should do something to stop
these mistakes. Najiyah was so funny, so cute. She had just started nursery.
The whole family was so proud of her because she was such a character."
In a statement Newham Healthcare NHS Trust, offered
condolences to her parents. It said: "The trust has launched an internal
investigation." This is the fourth time in the past six weeks that the
wrong drug or treatment has been administered in an English NHS hospital.
Three of the cases ended in death. Brighton Health
Care Trust launched an investigation yesterday after a three-year-old boy with
suspected meningitis was given four times the prescribed dose of an anti-viral
drug. The child was not harmed, the
hospital said. Last weekend a consultant at the Royal Sussex County Hospital
was suspended after the death of a patient, who had a drug injected into a vein
instead of the spine. An investigation is under way.
In January, at the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham,
Wayne Jowett, 18, a leukaemia patient, died after a drug was injected into his
spine instead of a vein. At the same time, an inquest in Northampton recorded a
verdict of accidental death on a woman who was wrongly injected with the same
drug.
Katherine Murphy, of the Patients' Association, said
yesterday: "We cannot understand how this latest accident happened. The
gases are in different coloured tubes." Prof Liam Donaldson, the Chief
Medical Officer, said procedures were being improved.
He said: "Safer care for patients will be
achieved by focusing on designing better systems."
ALL
INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.