Zara Cheesman passed away on December 23 of last year, and her parents believe that doctors had two opportunities to save her life.Nottingham coroner's court was informed that although a trainee nurse practitioner at A&E suggested she might have meningitis, it was more likely that she had a stomach ailment.
Before releasing the adolescent from Queen's Medical Centre, a doctor thought she might also have the illness but chose not to perform blood tests on her.
According to the inquest, Zara, a Nottingham resident, fell ill on the evening of December 19 and puked all night long before collapsing in the hallway at around one in the morning, hitting her head.
The inquest heard that when the girl reported having shoulder and neck pain, her mother, Judith, called 111 and was told to take her daughter to A&E.
"She appeared well, but she was exhausted."
Pediatric emergency medicine registrar Dr. Derek Huffadine told the inquest that he thought it might be meningitis but chose not to perform blood tests before Zara was released.
According to Dr. Huffadine, the main symptom of the brief illness was vomiting, which appeared to be improving. She looked good, but she was exhausted. She was very articulate.
"I believe it was challenging to diagnose her with meningitis at the time. In terms of presentation, it was in its early stages.
"After looking at Zara and hearing her words, I didn't think blood tests would be helpful at this time.
"The nurse practitioner suspected meningitis," Zara's parents said in a statement read to the court. As soon as possible, antibiotics ought to have been administered. The fact that meningitis was ruled out without the proper testing has devastated and upset us.
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) technicians were called to the family home the following day after Zara woke up "confused," according to testimony given at the inquest.
According to the inquest, Zara's parents were worried that the technicians "did not properly examine her or listen to what we were saying," and one of them "discouraged" the family from returning to the hospital.
Zara's parents released the following statement: "We think they determined she had norovirus." We didn't feel like we were being taken seriously.
Additionally, there were warning signs of confusion and delirium. Zara ought to have been taken to A&E right away.
The coroner heard that when Zara's father, Mark Cheesman, inquired about the possibility of meningitis, a technician informed him that it was not.
The following morning, after Zara fell off the couch at home and became "limp," paramedics took her to the hospital once more.
At 2:25 p.m. on December 23, she passed away.
"Two opportunities were lost."
According to her parents' statement, "NHS employees from two separate trusts, who ought to be experts, let us down." They had lost the two opportunities to save her.
"Zara passed away from meningitis, which is easily curable. We know that in the past, when meningitis was suspected, antibiotics would have been administered. Our confidence was totally misguided.
During the inquest, Zara's mother read a pen portrait of the teenager, describing her as an A* student and a "force of nature."
"She was extremely kind, empathetic, intelligent, funny, often stubborn, and highly opinionated, having always cared deeply for those close to her," she said.
She wanted to go to law school and practice human rights law, according to the inquest, and her mother stated that they had "no doubt she would have achieved her hopes and dreams and purpose."