A 10-year-old girl has died after being misdiagnosed by five medical practitioners during a week of illness.
The South Australian girl, Briony Caitlin Klingberg, passed away in January 2015 after suffering multiple organ failure due to overwhelming herpes simplex infection, 6Minutes reports.
An inquest into her death has begun, with the court hearing that on January 11, Briony had a high fever and ulcerated throat which prevented her from sleeping, drinking or eating.
Her mother, Bridget Klingberg, took her TO her local GP and then to Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital emergency department, who reportedly sent home.
When her condition did not improve, her mother took her to Mt Barker Hospital in South Australia where she was prescribed medication and sent home once more.
The following day, her parents contacted their family GP where she was given antibiotics and under went a blood test.
“He thought it was major infection – and queried glandular fever,” her mother said.
The following day, the GP called her to say the results were “odd and didn’t seem to make sense” and Briony was taken to Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Briony suffered a seizure in the hospital car park and was admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit where she was treated for multiple organ failure.
Her life support was turned off on January 18.
