The bizarre thing is how they just slipped right past that
flu vaccine preceded the seizures and focused on the nitrous oxide.
And yes, nitrous oxide can be deadly especially with lack of adequate oxygen supply. – an RN
http://www.resort.com/~banshee/Info/N2O/nitrous.dangers.html
“Najiyah arrived at the hospital’s accident and emergency
department on 18 January. She had gone into convulsions after receiving a flu
jab at her GP practice.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1169000/1169890.stm
The BBC’s Health Correspondent, Daniel Sandford
“The family is still in a state of shock”
Mike Stone Patients’ Assoc.
“A tragic, harrowing case”
Dr Charles Gutteridge, Newham Healthcare NHS Trust
“We are working now to find out what happened on that day”
Wednesday, 14 February, 2001, 13:37 GMT
Call for action after girl dies
Najiyah Hussien
Najiyah Hussien died after mix up
The father of a three-year-old girl who was fatally
starved of oxygen in a hospital mix up has called for action to prevent a
similar tragedy.
Najiyah Hussien was taken to Newham General Hospital after
suffering a fit at her home in East London.
She died after being given nitrous oxide instead of
oxygen.
Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is used as an anaesthetic.
Najiyah’s father Akmul Hussain said from his home in Manor
Park, east London: “She should have had the right treatment.
“She was a very lovely girl ... a lovely girl and she had
just started nursery.
“I feel terrible. How could they do that? It should not
happen to anybody else.”
John Bruty, a legal representative for the family, said: “The
priority for Najiyah’s family is to find out exactly what happened in the
hospital.
“They hope that her death causes hospitals everywhere to
double-check their procedures to ensure that something like this cannot happen
to somebody else.”
Najiyah arrived at the hospital’s accident and emergency
department on 18 January. She had gone into convulsions after receiving a flu
jab at her GP practice.
She was given a mask to help her breathe.
However, instead of being connected to a supply of oxygen,
the mask fed her nitrous oxide.
Salema Khatun
Salema Khatun could not believe the mistake had taken
place
Najiyah died from nitrous oxide poisoning and because her
brain was starved of oxygen.
Najiyah’s sister Salema Khatun said: “All the other times
she has gone into hospital she has been in good hands, and she has come home -
but she hasn’t this time.
“It is hard to understand, it such a silly mistake. Oxygen
and nitrous oxide are completely different things.
“Oxygen is such a simple thing to give, and yet they still
made that mistake.”
The Trust has begun an internal investigation, and a
doctor has been suspended.
A spokesman for the hospital said senior representatives
for the Trust have met the parents and expressed their sincere condolences.
Dr Charles Gutteridge
Dr Charles Gutteridge said an inquiry had been set up
Dr Charles Gutteridge, medical director of the hospital,
said: “We were concerned about some of the events around that day and so have
set up an internal inquiry.
“The panel consists of some staff within the hospital and
an independent external expert.”
Experts say that modern equipment should make it
impossible for such a mistake to occur.
Mike Stone, director of the Patients’ Association, said: “It
is tragic, harrowing case. There should be measures that stop things like this happening.”
Mr Stone said different gases should be colour coded and
fitted with nozzles that can only be used by specific cylinders.
He said doctors and nurses were under constant strain, and
that action had to be taken to relieve pressure on them.
But he said training should ensure that such tragic
mistakes could not happen.
The tragedy follows two other high profile deaths blamed
on NHS errors in recent weeks.
Wayne Jowett, 18, died at Queen’s Medical Centre,
Nottingham, after a cancer drug was injected into his spine, rather than into a
vein.
And a patient died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in
Brighton after local anaesthetic was injected into a vein rather than his
spine.
An inquest into Najiyah’s death was opened and adjourned
at Walthamstow Coroner’s Court on Wednesday.
A file on her case has been sent to the Crown Prosecution
Service.
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