Doctors fail to diagnose fatal meningococcal case

Health authorities say a baby from Adelaide’s southern suburbs, who has died of suspected meningococcal disease, was examined early yesterday but was not diagnosed at the time.

Health authorities say a baby from Adelaide’s southern suburbs, who has died of suspected meningococcal disease, was examined early yesterday but was not diagnosed at the time.Dr Rod Givney, from the Department of Human Services, says the two-month-old boy was thoroughly assessed but the initial symptoms of the disease are not specific.”Unfortunately the diagnosis wasn’t made at that time so the child returned home,” he said.”The diagnosis, I think, would have become evident with the appearance of the rash later in the day.”Unfortunately by the time the child was brought back to the hospital by ambulance, he was dead.”Dr Givney says it will be at least several days before they can be sure if it was meningococcal disease.Three people who had close contact with the boy will receive medical attention and antibiotics.There have been three confirmed meningococcal cases so far this year in South Australia but, if it is confirmed, the two-month-old boy will be the first fatality from the disease this year.(Source: ABC Health News, March 2004)