‘Happy' boy, 3, died holding his mum's hand just hours after doctors sent him home from hospital with an ‘ear infection'
Little Theo Tuikubulau passed away from sepsis on July 8, 2022, only two days after his first hospital visit.
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Described by his mum as a 'happy, loving and affectionate little boy' obsessed with fire engines, Theo's mild cold-like symptoms quickly worsened, the inquest into his death heard.
Exeter Coroner's Court was told a doctor at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth believed Theo had an ear infection and discharged him to their home in Torpoint, Cornwall, on July 7.
Dr Andy Robinson, a consultant paediatrician, explained Theo's condition rapidly collapsed when he returned to hospital.
On July 5, worried Kayleigh called NHS 111 after noticing Theo was 'not feeling himself' with a "snotty nose" and "cold-like symptoms".
Ambulances were busy, so she was told a taxi could take him to hospital. This idea was stood down as he was sleeping.
She gave him Calpol, hoping it was just a cold. Although he seemed a little better, Theo was far from his usual self, according to Cornwall Live.
The next day, July 6, Theo was rushed to A&E after developing a "red dot" rash on his chest, a high fever of 40.2C, and struggling to breathe.
Kayleigh described him gasping for air and the corners of his mouth turning blue.
A doctor told her Theo, who wasn't drinking and hadn't passed urine all day, had an ear infection.
"I felt OK because I believed what the professionals were saying," she told the jury, according to the BBC.
The signs and symptoms of sepsis to look out for, according to The UK Sepsis Trust
Due to the lack of urine, he was admitted to the Children's Assessment Unit and might get a drip, but it never happened.
At around 10pm, a doctor examined Theo's eyes and ears and said he could go home without antibiotics. No blood tests or swabs were done to confirm infection.
Theo was discharged at 12.30am on July 7, but Kayleigh said couldn't understand why he wasn't kept, especially as the ward wasn't busy.
I tried to go back into the room, but they wouldn't let me. I went outside and was sick
Kayleigh KennefordTheo's mum
He spent a restless night in his mum's bed but continued to get worse.
By 9:47pm, Kayleigh called a nurse at the Children's Unit, who told her to give Theo sugary drinks.
"I felt I was being fobbed off," she said.
When Theo's breathing grew 'crackly,' the mum called NHS 111 again and was told to call an ambulance immediately.
At 12.56am on July 8, paramedics arrived and rushed Theo back to Derriford Hospital, where he was taken straight to resuscitation with suspected meningitis.
'It's so hard knowing that your child is being worked on, and they are trying to save him,' Kayleigh said.
"I tried to go back into the room, but they wouldn't let me. I went outside and was sick."
Despite frantic attempts to save him, doctors told the family there was nothing more they could do.
"We went in the room and held his hand and they switched everything off," Kayleigh said quietly.
Theo was confirmed to have died from sepsis, a condition where the immune system has a dangerous reaction to an infection.
Strep A outbreak at the same time
Dr Robinson explained that swabs weren't taken because results take 36-48 hours and wouldn't have helped at the time. And that Theo wasn't given antibiotics due to risk of allergic reactions.
He said Kayleigh's call to the children's unit on July 7 showed 'nothing flagged' to suggest Theo was deteriorating.
He described Theo as 'exceptionally pale' and very different from 24 hours before.
'He was still hot but no rash,' he said. 'I thought he had sepsis and septic shock.'
Doctors struggled to get an IV line as Theo's body shut down; his heart rate dropped and he stopped breathing.
He was given rescue breaths and chest compressions for 30 minutes.
Dr Robinson said a Strep A outbreak during winter 2022/23 caused many rapid deteriorations in children.
The inquest is scheduled to continue until Friday, July 4.
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