Annalize Luffingham Wiki – Annalize Luffingham Biography
Annalize Luffingham, from Addiscombe, south London, was admitted to the ER in February 2020 after suffering from fever, confusion and vomiting – telltale signs of bacterial infection, which can lead to life-threatening sepsis. NHS doctors failed to properly test whether Annalise, known as Annie, might have sepsis and took seven hours to administer life-saving antibiotics, according to a report on her care. Annie, described as “wonderful” by her loved ones, died the next day in hospital.Now her parents, who have received undisclosed compensation from the health service, are urging others to be vigilant about the dangers of meningitis and the need for early detection. The couple said their grief over her daughter’s death is “as raw as it was the day she died” and they hope her story can prevent others from suffering.
Annie, who had previously been fit and healthy, arrived at Croydon University Hospital’s children’s emergency department at around 10am. on February 11, 2020. The 11-year-old boy, a football and horse-riding fan, had been suffering from symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, confusion, high fever, headache and eye pain for about a week. During an initial evaluation, sepsis testing was completed. These usually include checking your temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, and a blood test. However, a report from the Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, which identified 11 problems with the care Annie received, found that these tests were completed incorrectly. The staff were unable to detect that Annie’s respiratory rate was high or consider that she might have sepsis, he concluded. Shortly after, Annie, who attended the Royal Russell School in Croydon, which charges up to £15,000 a year, was transferred to a team within the main emergency department and then to a pediatrics team at around 12:45pm. m.
After further testing, Annie was given ibuprofen and paracetamol. At four in the afternoon, a doctor prescribed antibiotics, which were administered half an hour later. But Annie, who aspired to be a vet, went into cardiac arrest around 5:50 p.m. She was revived and transferred to another hospital but died the next day. An investigation conducted in 2021 concluded that Annie died of sepsis caused by meningitis and that it was a result of natural causes contributed to by neglect. The report on her care found that if the tests had been completed correctly, Annie would have been transferred to a specialized pediatric team and should have started intravenous antibiotics within an hour. She made 17 recommendations to improve care, including staff training for sepsis and meningitis management. Her mother, Tracey Shephard, 51, said: ‘Annie was the most wonderful daughter we could ever wish for. Ella ‘ella She was bright, intelligent, eloquent but also sporty and caring. She was mature for her age and she wanted to be the best person she could be. ‘Even more than three years later, the pain we felt over her death remains as raw as the day she died.
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Age
Annalize Luffingham was 11 years old.
Tributes
Our lives will never be the same without her. It’s devastating that she never grows up and reaches the potential that she had.” Following Annie’s death, Meningitis Now also supported her parents, and friends and family of Annie’s raised thousands of pounds for the charity. Her father David Luffingham, 51, added: “As Annie continued to deteriorate, we thought the best place for her would be in hospital, as we thought she would receive the care she needed to recover. ‘That didn’t happen and now we are faced with a life without Annie. As bad as she was, it’s still hard not to think that when Annie needed help she was sorely disappointed. ‘We continue to be moved by the attention and support we have received and how people have raised money in Annie’s memory. “Nothing will ever fill the void left in our lives after Annie’s death, but we will continue to raise awareness about how important it is to make people aware of meningitis and the need to seek medical attention as soon as possible. “It’s too late. for Annie, but we just hope that we can help others get through what we went through.”
Following Annie’s death, her parents ordered the medical malpractice lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her care. The couple secured an undisclosed settlement from the Trust in relation to Annie’s death and the trauma they went through. The Trust admitted responsibility for Annie’s death and apologized to David and Tracey. In a letter to the couple, the Trust accepted “that the treatment provided Annalise by the Trust fell below the standard of care she was entitled to expect and, in particular, that there were failures to recognise the severity of Annalise’s illness resulting in delays in providing appropriate treatment’. The Trust expressed ‘very real regret’ that ‘opportunities were missed to prevent her death.’ As part of the settlement agreement, the Trust agreed to provide responses to questions asked by the family regarding lessons learnt following the investigation. Dami Oloyede, a litigation assistant at the firm, said: ‘Annie was a talented and academically gifted girl who had her whole life ahead of her. ‘Understandably David and Tracey remain devastated by the events that unfolded and her subsequent death.’
She added: ‘Sadly, through our work we often see the devastating consequences that families can be left to face because of delayed diagnosis and treatment of serious medical conditions such as meningitis. ‘We join Tracey and David in raising awareness of the signs of meningitis and how early detection and treatment is key to beating it.’ Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Babies, young children, teens and young adults are most at risk. Before the Covid pandemic, charities estimated there were around 8,000 cases in the UK per year. A fever, being sick, a headache and a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it are key signs of the infection. A stiff neck, drowsiness and seizures are other tell-tale signs. If it is not treated quickly, the infection can lead to sepsis — the body’s life-threatening reaction to an infection. It occurs when the immune system overreacts and starts to damage the body’s tissues and organs. Patients suffering from sepsis should be given antibiotics within an hour of arriving to hospital. Septic shock can occur in those not treated quickly, which can lead to organ failure and death.
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