Latest news with #meningitis
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Dead teen's family told they had to organise getting his body back to hometown
An urgent transfer meant the young man's family did not have a chance to say goodbye to him before his death. Photo: 123RF The family of a teenager who died from complications after an operation never got the chance to say goodbye. They were further distressed by being told they needed to organise his body's repatriation to his hometown. A complaint about the 19-year-old's care was referred to Health and Disability Commissioner by the coroner. The young man - who died in 2015 - had undergone an operation in January that year related to his type 2 neurofibromatosis - a genetic condition that causes benign tumours to develop on nerves, particularly those in the skull and spine. There were complications due to a post-operative infection and meningitis, which was treated successfully at a secondary hospital. The man - who was referred to in the commissioner's report as Mr B - continued to suffer from fluid building up around the brain and required regular release of cerebrospinal fluid through lumbar puncture. He was admitted to hospital with ongoing headaches and vomiting in April. A decision was made to hold off on further lumbar punctures due to concerns it could cause a hernia and to transfer him to another hospital via an air retrieval team. The transfer was delayed due due to staffing issues and a lack of an available air ambulance. Deputy commissioner Dr Vanessa Caldwell said at the time Mr B was neurologically stable and his transfer was scheduled for the next day. However, while waiting he collapsed and his heart stopped. He was then urgently transferred to another hospital, but his condition deteriorated and at the second hospital he was declared brain dead. Mr B's family told the commissioner they did not understand why he was not transferred by road when the air retrieval team was not available, and they did not understand why he was transferred to another hospital when his prognosis was poor. The transfer meant they did not have a chance to say goodbye to him before his death. The family also said they were asked if they would donate his organs only minutes after being told he was brain dead, which left them little time to consider their options. They were also told by a social worker it was up to them to organise transport of his body back to where they lived, even though he qualified for travel assistance. Health NZ apologised for the distress caused by the discussion related to organ donation and the miscommunication regarding transporting Mr B's body. Dr Caldwell said the care provided to the man was at an appropriate standard and decisions, such as the air transfer, were made appropriately based on the information available to the team at the time. Incorrect and minimal information was provided to the family once the man died and this had been particularly distressing for them, she said. She also had concerns about the communication between the air retrieval team and the teams treating Mr B. Health New Zealand breached the patient's right to information under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, the commissioner said. A number of changes had been made since the young man's death, including the establishment of Health NZ, Dr Caldwell said. "I am also mindful that providing recommendations at this stage for errors that happened some time ago is likely to have limited practical benefit." She recommended Health NZ Southern and Health NZ Waitaha Canterbury provided a formal written apology for the breaches identified in the report within three weeks. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
British teenager is left fighting for life after ear infection spiralled into meningitis on Greek holiday as family launch desperate fundraiser to fly her home
A British teenager has been left fighting for her life in a Greek hospital after a suspected ear infection developed into meningitis during a holiday. Millie Bayles, 19, from Garth near Llangollen in North Wales, is currently in intensive care in Athens after falling seriously ill on the island of Rhodes. Her family say she initially began experiencing symptoms of an ear infection, but her condition quickly deteriorated and she was later diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. Millie, who was on holiday with her friends, was transferred more than 300 miles from the holiday island to a specialist unit in the capital, where she remains in a semi-conscious state. Her mother, Lauren Murphy, and stepfather, Pete, flew out to be by her side as doctors battled to stabilise her condition. Now, the family are working to bring Millie home to continue her treatment in the UK. Without travel insurance in place, they were quoted tens of thousands of pounds for a private medical flight and hospital costs. Lauren said: 'We are now at the stage where we can look to bring Millie back to the UK. She is out of immediate danger, but she has a long road to recovery ahead of her. 'She is still only semi-conscious, and we have yet to see how badly this illness will have affected her brain in the long term. 'Unfortunately, due to being an invincible young person, Millie neglected to take out any holiday insurance, and so we have to fund her medical flight home privately. 'We desperately need help to get our girl back to her home country so she can continue her recovery process.' More than 900 people rallied around the family and helped them to hit their £40,000 target in just days. Millie's stepfather, Pete said: 'I am so overwhelmed by the immediate generosity of all of you lovely people and plenty that are certainly not on my friend list. 'Myself, Lauren and Millie are so grateful for your kind donations. 'Millie has got a long battle ahead, but she certainly has a lot of people rooting for her, and we can't thank you enough for that.' Millie's family are now hoping she can be flown home as soon as her doctors deem it safe, where she'll begin the next stage of her recovery.
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Dad, 50, dies after being told his symptoms were ‘just a migraine' 11 times before slipping into an 8-month coma
A DAD died of a fungal brain infection after doctors misdiagnosed him 11 times. Qinghu Guo, 50, was seen by medics at multiple NHS and private clinics over five weeks and his condition was regularly dismissed as a migraine. 5 5 He only received the correct diagnosis after collapsing at home in front of couple's toddler. Qinghu, who had no known immune conditions, was eventually diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis, a rare fungal infection that had already caused dangerously high brain pressure. He died in August 2024, leaving his wife, Yujiao Chang, 35, to provide for their son. She has now launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe, which has already topped £9,600. Yujiao, originally from Zhengzhou, China but now living in East London, said: 'I kept telling them it wasn't a migraine. 'He collapsed five times. I had to drag him off the floor. Even when a private neurologist suspected meningitis, the hospital wouldn't listen.' A coroner later confirmed the condition was extremely rare and said a combination of its rarity and 'medical confirmation bias' contributed to delays. He ruled that Qinghu's lumbar puncture - the test that confirmed the diagnosis - was only performed on his 12th medical visit. By then, he had already suffered brain swelling and required emergency surgery at the Royal London Hospital. He never fully recovered and died from complications in August 2024, after more than ten operations and eight months in a coma. 'MOST TRAUMATIC DAY OF MY LIFE' My son, 18, wrote his illness off as a hangover - hours later he was dead Qinghu first fell ill in October 2023. Both a private GP and an NHS GP initially prescribed antibiotics for what they believed was the flu. His symptoms worsened, and he was referred to A&E at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where he was diagnosed with migraines. Yujiao said: 'At the beginning, we trusted the doctors. 'My son was born in that hospital (Chelsea and Westminster Hospital). "But no matter how much we said the treatment wasn't working, they kept insisting it was just a different type of migraine.' Repeated scans failed to detect any brain abnormalities. 5 5 When Qinghu collapsed at home multiple times, Yujiao called 999 but each time she said paramedics saw his NHS file and followed the migraine diagnosis, sending him home. In desperation, they consulted a private neurologist who suspected meningitis and urged a lumbar puncture. Yujiao brought this diagnosis back to NHS doctors, but she says they refused to believe the private opinion. She said: 'Even after we had another expert tell them it could be meningitis, they said it was still just a migraine. "That made everything harder. When the ambulance came, they saw a note in the system about the private opinion and still didn't act.' On the fifth collapse, the paramedic refused to take Qinghu back to hospital, saying he had already been discharged multiple times. Instead, they arranged a video consultation. A hospital doctor saw his face via video call and immediately ordered an ambulance. That night, a CT scan revealed dangerously high brain pressure. A lumbar puncture was finally performed and confirmed cryptococcal meningitis - a diagnosis that came more than a month after symptoms began. Qinghu was rushed into intensive care and underwent multiple brain surgeries. 'Look after our son' In December 2023, during junior doctor strikes, he deteriorated again and began vomiting and passing blood. Yujiao says no doctor came to see him and later that night, his heart stopped. She said: 'He hugged me and said: 'Look after our son.' Fifteen minutes after I got home, my boy woke up screaming, 'No Daddy'. 'Then the hospital called to say his heart had stopped.' Qinghu was resuscitated three times but never regained full consciousness. He briefly woke for three weeks, able to squeeze Yujiao's hand and kiss her, before slipping back into a coma and passing away in August 2024. 5 At the same time, Yujiao's toddler son was diagnosed with a tumour and had to undergo two major operations. She said: 'I held him as he went under anaesthetic, then got a call from the hospital saying my husband was dying. I had to run between operating rooms.' Yujiao says her son is healthy now, but doctors have warned he remains at high risk of developing another tumour. 'At his last follow-up in December 2024, they found calcium deposits still in his body,' she explained. 'They told me he's not in the clear - he'll need scans every six months until he turns 18. I have to watch him carefully. It's something we'll be living with for years.' 'I've lost my husband, my home, and nearly lost my child' Yujiao's stress was compounded by financial hardship, as she was forced to abandon a children's project she had secured £1m in investment for due to her husband's illness. As a result, she says she had to personally absorb all the costs of cancelling the project, which, with no income at the time and added to other expenses, led to her bankruptcy. Yujiao poured her savings into legal fees, medical treatment, and basic living costs. 'I went from running a small business to sleeping beside my son in the hospital,' she said. 'I've lost my husband, my home, and nearly lost my child.' With no family support and no access to benefits due to her visa, she was left to face it all alone. 'I don't want charity. I just need time to get back on my feet,' she added. Yujiao is now rebuilding her life through livestreaming and photography. One of her grief videos has already reached nearly a million views on Chinese social platform Red Book. The family has secured a solicitor and is pursuing a legal claim. What is cryptococcal meningitis? Cryptococcal meningitis is a rare but serious brain infection caused by a fungus called Cryptococcus. The Cryptococcus fungus is commonly found in soil, rotting wood and bird droppings, particularly pigeon poo. People become infected by breathing in the fungal spores. In most healthy individuals, it causes no symptoms, but in those with low immunity, the infection can spread to the brain and cause meningitis. It mainly affects people with weakened immune systems, such as those with: Advanced HIV or AIDS Certain cancers People on long-term immunosuppressive treatment (e.g. post-transplant) What are the symptoms of cryptococcus meningitis? This type of meningitis comes on slowly - over days or weeks. Watch for: Persistent headache Fever Stiff neck Confusion or drowsiness Blurred or double vision Nausea or vomiting Sensitivity to light In some cases, seizures Treatment options Treatment involves strong hospital-only antifungal drugs. Without treatment, cryptococcal meningitis is often fatal. Even with treatment, recovery may take months, and some people are left with long-term effects like memory or vision problems. Sources: NHS, British Infection Association, CDC A coroner ruled in January 2025 that Qinghu died from cryptococcal meningitis and noted that he presented 12 times across NHS and private care before a diagnosis was made. The delays were attributed to confirmation bias and the rarity of the condition. The coroner did not identify failings by individual doctors. However, Yujiao said the first doctor to misdiagnose her late husband, at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, had 'refused' to listen to her concerns. 'He stated that he would force my GP to follow up migraine headache, and wrote in capital letters on the discharge letter that it was medication overuse headache,' she said. 'This misled and delayed a series of critical ambulance interventions. 'Even after my husband had already died from cryptococcal meningitis - an established fact - this doctor still insisted in front of the coroner that he had made no diagnostic error. 'His arrogance and refusal to admit fault destroyed our family.'
Telegraph
21-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Father died of meningitis after being misdiagnosed 11 times
A coroner later confirmed the condition was extremely rare and said a combination of its rarity and 'medical confirmation bias' contributed to delays. He ruled that Qinghu's lumbar puncture - the test that confirmed the diagnosis - was only performed on his 12th medical visit. By then, he had already suffered brain swelling and required emergency surgery at the Royal London Hospital. He never fully recovered and died from complications in August 2024, after more than ten operations and eight months in a coma. Yujiao said: 'At the beginning, we trusted the doctors. 'My son was born in that hospital (Chelsea and Westminster Hospital). But no matter how much we said the treatment wasn't working, they kept insisting it was just a different type of migraine.' Repeated scans failed to detect any brain abnormalities. When Qinghu collapsed at home multiple times, Yujiao called 999 but each time she says paramedics saw his NHS file and followed the migraine diagnosis, sending him home. In desperation, they consulted a private neurologist who suspected meningitis and urged a lumbar puncture. Yujiao brought this diagnosis back to NHS doctors, but she says they refused to believe the private opinion. She said: 'Even after we had another expert tell them it could be meningitis, they said it was still just a migraine. 'That made everything harder. When the ambulance came, they saw a note in the system about the private opinion and still didn't act.' On the fifth collapse, the paramedic refused to take Qinghu back to hospital, saying he had already been discharged multiple times. Instead, they arranged a video consultation. A hospital doctor saw his face via video call and immediately ordered an ambulance. That night, a CT scan revealed dangerously high brain pressure. A lumbar puncture was finally performed and confirmed cryptococcal meningitis - a diagnosis that came more than a month after symptoms began. Qinghu was rushed into intensive care and underwent multiple brain surgeries. In December 2023, during junior doctor strikes, he deteriorated again and began vomiting and passing blood. Yujiao says no doctor came to see him and later that night, his heart stopped. Qinghu was resuscitated three times but never regained full consciousness. He briefly woke for three weeks, able to squeeze Yujiao's hand and kiss her, before slipping back into a coma and passing away in August 2024. At the same time, Yujiao's toddler son was diagnosed with a tumour and had to undergo two major operations.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Schoolgirl, 10, has three limbs amputated after bruise 'many parents wouldn't suspect as unusual' turned out to be killer disease
A schoolgirl lost both her legs and her right arm after suffering severe complications from meningitis—and her only visible symptom was a 'bruise'. Within 24 hours of telling her parents that she didn't feel well, Penelope Vidal-Walsh, 10, had undergone life-saving emergency surgery at Alder Hey Hospital remove her limbs. On April 10, Penelope—who was feeling under the weather—went to bed as usual at around 9pm, only to wake up at 2am and begin vomiting. The Liverpool Echo reports that her father, Ricardo Vidal, put her in the bath, 'checked her over' saw nothing of any concern, and put her back to bed. The next morning, she got up as usual but was sick again after breakfast, prompting her parents to run her another bath. While in the bath, they noticed a small purple mark on her neck, and later, while dressing her, a similarly coloured rash on her knee. Penelope's aunt, Angel Walsh, 35, told the ECHO that her parents used 'the glass test' to assess if the rash was cause for concern, as recommended by the NHS. It involves pressing a glass against a rash to see if it disappears under pressure—if it doesn't, it could be a sign of a serious infection such as meningitis or septicaemia which needs immediate medical attention. Because the rash didn't disappear, Penelope was immediately taken straight to Ormskirk Hospital. By 9.30am she had been transferred to Alder Hey where she was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and was rushed to intensive care. She not only had meningitis but also a 'very rare fungal infection which caused severe complications'. Mr Vidal said: 'As part of her treatment Penelope underwent a triple amputation surgery, which resulted in her losing her lower limbs and her right arm. 'She is currently undergoing skin grafting surgery as part of her rehabilitation and recovery. 'She has made huge progress and improvement and is even using a wheelchair and building up her core strength as well as the strength in her left arm.' Penelope will remain in the critical care unit of Alder Hey until she undergoes skin grafting surgery. If the procedures are successful she will be discharged in October, six months after initally falling ill. Her parents have launched a fundraiser to try and provide her with the 'best possible chance of living an independent life.' Mr Vidal said: 'We want her to be able to not let this deter her from being the most energetic, fun, lively girl that she always has been. 'She remains determined and motivated to keep building her strength. 'The strength and resilience she shows us every day is just incredible and we are just so proud of her. 'We want to give her the best quality life and opportunities to fulfil any of her dreams and hopes that she had before this occurred.' Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. Anyone can be affected but at-risk people include those aged under five, 15-to-24 and over 45. People exposed to passive smoking or with suppressed immune systems, such as patients undergoing chemotherapy, are also more at risk. The most common forms of meningitis are bacterial and viral, but the former requires urgent treatment at hospital with antibiotics. Some 10 per cent of bacterial cases are fatal, and of those who survive, one in three suffer complications, including brain damage, hearing loss and limb amputation is a if septicaemia (blood poisoning) occurs.
