A two-year-old girl who had a rare response to influenza died following a “catalogue of errors” by hospital doctors, an inquest heard.
Cristiana Banciu was around a month shy of her third birthday when she died on January 8 last year at King’s College Hospital in Denmark Hill, south London.
She had been transferred from the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) in Orpington two days earlier on January 6, The Sun reports.
The inquest into her death at South London Coroner’s Court heard that she had been highlighted as a patient of concern “multiple times” at the PRUH.
But a lack of attention and knowledge contributed to her death.
The inquest was told that an investigation by King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust found there was a failure to adequately monitor Cristiana on the ward, a failure to detect her declining neurological condition, and to act and escalate on her low Glasgow Coma Score (GCS).
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Cristiana Banciu, 2, died at King’s College Hospital in London last year after suffering a rare response to influenza. Picture: Family handout/PAWireSource:AAP
Assistant coroner Jacqueline Devonish said the failure to record Cristiana’s GCS was “very serious indeed” and the tot would probably have had a better chance of survival had she been transferred sooner to intensive care.
She said: “It seemed to me that there was a lack of attention and a lack of knowledge which had directly contributed to this little girl’s death.”
Ms Devonish said she is of the view that healthcare professionals “failed to provide basic medical attention”.
She said these were “very basic neurological observations that needed to be undertaken” and those results properly reviewed by a senior clinician.
“In my view that’s a gross failure,” she said.
But she said the law does not support a finding of neglect because there is no evidence that Cristiana would have survived had she been treated sooner.
‘Catalogue of errors’
In her conclusion, Ms Devonish said: “Baby Cristiana died from a rare response to influenza in circumstances where the decline in her responsiveness, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of eight, and progressively sluggish pupils had not been recognised.
“There was a consequential delay in transfer to the paediatric intensive care unit.
“It is not possible to say on the balance of probabilities whether she would have survived if transferred sooner.
“But she would, probably, have had a better chance.”
Addressing the family, Ms Devonish said: “I’ve seen the picture of baby Cristiana on your T-shirt. She’s absolutely beautiful.
“And it’s an extremely sad case. I know that the family recognised early on that there was something seriously wrong, and it’s a pity that those treating her didn’t also recognise that.”
She said there had been “a catalogue of errors”, adding: “The tragic loss of this cheerful, resilient, beautiful, bright little angel is absolutely devastating for us all.”