Mr Braes died a little more than an hour after being admitted. A nurse in her first month at the hospital was assigned to take a full set of his vitals but was called away to prepare another patients antibiotics before she could finish. A doctor who later saw Alex Braes said the 18-year-old was 'the sickest patient he'd ever seen at Broken Hill' hospital. An autopsy is an examination of the body of a deceased person, carried out by a qualified pathologist. Dr Stewart-Rattray says he and other clinicians who worked at Broken Hill had warned about mismanagement and a lack of resources that posed a risk to patient safety. "The only evidence that we have is that Alex had Streptococcus pyogenes grown in his bloodstream and he had septic shock," he said. If this is your first visit to the new AusDoc website, reset your password But the 18-year-old mechanic died with tragic suddenness, suffering multi-organ failure due to sepsis, one month after treatment for an infected ingrown toenail. I just think they were trying to grasp the reality of what was facing them and that he was deteriorating very quickly," Mr McLean said. Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates, serious gaps in healthcare in rural and regional areas. See State Coroner's Memorandum No. Alex arrived at Broken Hill Hospital's emergency department. "Every person (from) the smallest thing to the largest thing, they get a set of obs.". . Mr Braes was a healthy teenager, working as a fitter and turner, when he was put on antibiotics in August 2017 for an infected toenail. A teenager who had been turned away three times from Broken Hill Hospitals emergency department Googled can pain kill you? on his tablet device before he died from septic shock. But so shocking is his case that it's prompted a group of clinicians who worked at Broken Hill Hospital to blow the whistle on what they believe is a hospital that had dangerous, systemic failures for years. Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murdering his wife and son near dog kennels at the family's Colleton County home on June 7, 2021. The inquest is investigating the treatment the teenager received before he died from a bacterial infection known as Group A Streptococcus (GAS). The teen's vitals were only observed during his fourth and final presentation, and a suspected toenail infection was identified. Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, Seriously Ill COVID-19 Patient Turned Away By 100 Hospitals In Japan, COVID-Positive Pregnant Woman Delivers Near Hospital Gate After Doctors Turn Her Away, Canada's Trudeau Denies Report That Liberals Told To Drop Candidate Over China Ties, After Italian Migrant Boat Wreck, Police Arrest Three Alleged Traffickers, 14 Chinese Military Aircraft Tracked Around Country, China's Annual Parliament To Implement Xi's Tightening Grip, Alex Braes, 18, sufferedmulti-organ failure due tosepsis and died after hospitals either sent him home or refused to admit him, A hospital "business rule" resulted in the teen's vitals not being checked duringhis first three presentations, A coroner said there was a serious and unacceptable deficiency in his treatment at the hospital. There was no "grab and go" for Alex and that would have devastating consequences. I have found the failure to perform vital signs observations was a serious deficiency in the care provided to Alex, Ryan said in her findings. These figures meant the odds were against Alex Braes from the start. "A significant one was the failure on September 20, 2017, to perform vital signs observations," Ms Ryan said. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/alex-braes-death-still-haunts-doctors/11470424, Your information is being handled in accordance with the, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, China leaving US behind on development of critical technologies, report finds, Former minister takes 'absolute responsibility' for Robodebt, admits defending scheme despite knowing it could be unlawful, 'Sickening, callous and brazen': Sydney man dies in hail of bullets in front of 12yo son, Evelyn worked three jobs when she was in her 20s to build up her super. "Was there a general feeling it compromised patient safety?" Alex went into cardiac arrest and died upon arrival at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. "I was gobsmacked that it didn't prompt an investigation straight away," he said. Dr MacDonald believes if you're in a remote centre and become gravely ill, the hospital needs to be equipped for what she describes as a "grab and go". Alex and his father arrived back at the hospital. . Were working to restore it. Alex Braes died on September 22, 2017, with a suspected flesh-eating bacteria known as necrotising fasciitis ravaging his system, after he was turned away three times from Broken Hill Hospitals emergency department. "Because it's not good enough in 2019 to have people in the far west of New South Wales having worse health outcomes than people in the city.". It was far too late. "Alex was semi-conscious, he was rambling, he wasn't responding to simple questions," Dr O'Donohoe said. Alex Braes, from Broken Hill died from a deadly flesh-eating diseases in 2017 Inquest into the 18-year-old's sudden death reveals doctors missed vital signs Young man complained of severe pain. If they had flown Mr Braes down to Adelaide, the only available pilot would not have been able to return, as their allowed time would have expired. He said every time he picked up his son's iPad, "it just reminds me of him. This would have left the state's Far West region without a pilot or plane, according to the retrieval specialist. Alex Braes died at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital after going to another hospital four times. The Deputy State Coroner has criticised a regional hospitals treatment of a boy who was repeatedly sent home before dying from sepsis. But the Flying Doctors were unable to transport Alex because the only available pilot had already reached their maximum flying hours a regulation governed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Now she believes she's being penalised, Australia loses first wicket on day two but still on top in Indore, ADF aircraft, personnel to assist evacuation of hundreds from flooded NT remote communities, Rajwinder Singh expected to be charged with murder of Cairns woman Toyah Cordingley tonight, police say, Watch Australia's economic challenges unfold in five graphs, 'Weight of the dead on my shoulders': Academic breaks down at gay hate deaths inquiry, 'Can pain kill you? A traumatised doctor has broken down in tears at an inquest, reflecting on how a relatively well teenager was joking with his father the night before his sudden death. Now she believes she's being penalised, Australia loses first wicket on day two but still on top in Indore, ADF aircraft, personnel to assist evacuation of hundreds from flooded NT remote communities, Rajwinder Singh expected to be charged with murder of Cairns woman Toyah Cordingley tonight, police say, Watch Australia's economic challenges unfold in five graphs, 'Weight of the dead on my shoulders': Academic breaks down at gay hate deaths inquiry, The death of Alex Braes still haunts doctors who didn't even know him, 'To lose a son is one of the most traumatic losses in life,' Alex Braes' father tells inquest, Resourcing, hospital business rule highlighted in Broken Hill hearings for Alex Braes inquest, Whistleblower clinicians want ombudsman probe into outback hospital, Postcode health gap: 'This is third-world stuff', Outside her tent, next to a popular city walking track, homeless Tasha is past caring what people think. A coroner has heard one nurse is responsible for both triaging patients in the waiting room and overseeing nurses in the emergency department at Broken Hill hospital. Braes was stranded for hours awaiting medical evacuation as no hospitals in Adelaide were willing to receive him and no pilots were available to fly him to Sydney. For that (new) triage process to work, there needs to be more staff and more resources to prevent any more tragic circumstances, the nurse said. 'An unthinkable tragedy': How did this train crash happen? Dr O'Donohoe later quit work at Broken Hill Hospital over what he saw as mismanagement, leading to patient safety issues. The family had to wait several hours for an aircraft to be dispatched from Sydney to collect Alex. Media Access When a Coroner investigates a death or a fire or explosion, the court gathers a range of documents which make up the coronial file. Findings and upcoming inquests - Coroners Court Inquest findings (since 2004) as well as non-inquest public interest matters (since 2012) are available below. She has recommended that the states' respective health departments continue discussions for formalizing that arrangement and for the matter to be escalated to the NSW Health Secretary if it fails to be in place within a year. During the flight Alex continued to decline and, as his mother watched, the paramedics struggled to keep him stable, having to phone doctors for advice. Alex Braes, 18, died at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital about 46 hours after limping into Broken Hill Base Hospital at 3am on September 20, 2017. It was a horrific outcome and such a young man, only 18 years old.". Alex Braes, 18, died at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in . 95 Hits - Ajith May 31, 2022, 7:26 PM. In Newcastle and Wollongong, a magistrate is appointed by the Chief . Coroner identifies unacceptable treatment in lead-up to death from multi-organ failure due to sepsis, calls for new interstate rules. Transfer 'only option' after teen Alex Braes went into septic shock in Broken Hill hospital, coroner hears. A centralised medevac dispatch system has since been introduced and Broken Hill now has formalised agreements to evacuate patients to Royal Adelaide hospital and The Womens and Childrens hospital, Adelaide. As for the delays in Braes' transfer, the coroner pointed out that the teen was not taken to South Australia's (SA) Royal Adelaide Hospital despite the facility being the closest hospital suitable for his care. Alex Braes. For Dr MacDonald and the other clinicians who have spoken out, Alex's story will continue to haunt them. All the stuff he wanted to do, theyre all memories now.. Please confirm you want to block this member. Updated: 7:51 AM EST Mar 1, 2023. "It is entirely possible that Alex had a severe cellulitis without reaching the threshold of necrotising fasciitis, which led to his bloodstream infection and sepsis.". Two New Fatal Earthquakes Hit Turkey Days After Deadliest Quake Killed 44,000 . It was a call made far more difficult due to a lack of available pilots at the RFDS base in Broken Hill that day. The inquest also heard from DrBaalbaki about whether expert recommendations surrounding Mr Braes' final presentation, such as having contact with an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Sydney, would havebeen of assistance. "He was cold, clammy, sweaty and he was significantly blue and mottled and this mottling colour is really a very ominous feature. The inquest heard that a mandatory investigation into the cause of Alexs death was not carried out by Far West Local Health District for a year after he died. After his ultrasound, he expected a doctor to review his results but the emergency department was so busy, no-one could see him. 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