Young worker’s death in rural Australian hospital highlights public healthcare crisis
The long-standing crisis of public healthcare in rural Australia has been brought to light by the coronial inquest into the tragic death of Alex Braes. In September 2017, the 18-year-old fitter and turner presented to the emergency department of Broken Hill Hospital, in far-western New South Wales (NSW), with sepsis from Streptococcus, a blood-stream infection that is fatal if not treated urgently.
Despite worsening leg pain from an ingrown toenail, where the infection originated, Braes was sent home three times. Once admitted, he needed to be transferred to a larger hospital, but a lack of beds in Adelaide led to his evacuation being delayed for several hours. Though finally transported to Sydney, it was too late to save his life.
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A doctor has described being blindsided and heartbroken by the death of a teenager who was sent home three times from Broken Hill Hospital, as he delivered a tearful apology to the patientâs family.
Fronting the NSW Coroners Court on Tuesday, David Hooper revealed he was never interviewed by health officials when they conducted a formal investigation into the death of Alex Braes in 2017.
Broken Hill teenager Alex Braes, who died of septic shock.
Mr Braes, 18, was misdiagnosed as having a torn knee tendon while he was battling a life-threatening bacterial infection.
By his fourth presentation to hospital, Mr Braes was in septic shock and went into cardiac arrest after being flown to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.
Broken Hill doctor David Hooper apologises after death of teenager Braes brisbanetimes.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from brisbanetimes.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Except for one nurse at one presentation noting the teenager’s temperature as “normal” and his pulse as “regular”, no vital signs were recorded until his fourth presentation, about 11am on 21 September.
By that stage, Braes was in severe pain, had a left knee and ankle that were swollen and dark, and required a wheelchair to move around.
A doctor who saw him an hour later during a rapid response said he was shocked by Braes’ condition and described him “as the sickest patient he’d ever seen at Broken Hill”, the inquest was told on Monday.
A panel of experts is due to tell the inquest the small-to-non-existent opportunity to save Braes’ life evaporated by the time he was sent home on Wednesday night.
Broken Hill Hospital inquest commences following Alex Braes s death from infected toenail abc.net.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc.net.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.