‘First Covid child victim’ died after breathing tube blunder
A MISPLACED breathing tube contributed to the death of a 13-year-old boy who was named as the first child victim of Covid, a coroner has ruled.
Ismail Abdulwahab, of Brixton, south London, suffered a cardiac arrest and died of acute respiratory distress syndrome, caused by Covid-19 pneumonia, in the early hours of March 30, 2020, three days after testing positive for coronavirus.
His death, during Britain’s first lockdown, caused widespread fears that Covid was more deadly for healthy children than first thought, with scientists warning that ignoring the guidance to stay home could lead to the loss of a child.
Dr Simon Clarke, of the University of Reading, said at the time: “This is a reminder that we must take the advice of health officials seriously to stay at home, wash hands, and keep well away from all other people,”
“The message so far has seemed to be that by following the guidance, you might save the life of a cherished parent or grandparent. This case could yet remind us that staying home could also save the life of a cherished child or grandchild too.” In the previous weeks, Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, also warned against becoming “complacent” by thinking healthy children were immune from the disease.
But the inquest heard that hours before Ismail’s death, an endotracheal tube, used to help patients breathe, was found to be in the wrong position.
Senior coroner Andrew Harris said: “I am satisfied that he would not have died when he did were it not for the tube misplacement.”
He said it was “the trigger” that led to Ismail’s “unexpected” cardiac arrest.
Mr Harris also said that a high body mass index should also be recorded on the death certificate.
Ismail’s relatives were not able to be with him when he died at King’s College Hospital and were also unable to attend his funeral because they were self-isolating after some of his siblings experienced Covid symptoms.
Four people wearing protective clothing, gloves and masks lowered his coffin into a grave in Chislehurst, southeast London in April 2020.
Ismail was admitted to hospital on March 26, 2020 after experiencing a fever, coughing, shortness of breath, vomiting and diarrhoea. The next day, he was admitted to intensive care and tested positive for Covid-19.
The inquest heard from Dr Tushar Vince, a consultant in paediatric intensive care, who treated Ismail on March 29 after a breathing tube had already been inserted.
At the inquest, she admitted that despite seeing an X-ray of Ismail’s chest she did not spot that the tube had been wrongly inserted.
“I fully accept I just didn’t see. I was so focused on the lungs I just didn’t see how high this tube was and I’m so sorry that I didn’t see it,” she said. “It was a real oversight.”
Anuj Khatri, another doctor, claimed he pointed out to Dr Vince that the tube was too high but, after a conversation about the risks of moving it, she decided against it, the hearing was told.
Prof Akash Deep, a leading paediatric consultant, said the “dislodged” tube was the “tipping point” for Ismail’s death.
Mr Harris said the hospital was under “unprecedented pressures” from the first wave of the pandemic.
‘I fully accept I just didn’t see. I was so focused on the lungs I just didn’t see how high this tube was and I’m so sorry that I didn’t see it’