Children’s Health Ireland apologises for failings in care of toddler who died in 2016

Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin has apologised for failings in care to the family of a toddler who died at the hospital seven years ago.

Isla Casey Fioravante was two years and two months old the High Court heard when she died after suffering a brain injury after three cardiac arrests at what was then Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, now known as Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin.

The toddler had been brought into the hospital emergency department four days previously, on July 12th, 2016, with a history of fever, lethargy and vomiting and was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, given an oral antibiotic and discharged home with a prescription and advice.

The next day she was brought back again to the hospital emergency department and admitted for a urinary tract infection (UTI) secondary to dehydration. On July 14th she was admitted to intensive care and treated for septic shock and later suffered the cardiac arrests and acute deterioration.

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The family’s senior counsel, Sara Antoniotti, instructed by Carthage Conlon solicitor, told the court a review carried out by the hospital of Isla’s care and treatment during the days leading up to her death on July 16th, 2016, identified failings in care including a failure to consider sepsis as a differential diagnosis with the UTI diagnosis and a failure to recognise and manage developing sepsis linked to a UTI.

She said it was their case that Isla should have been given broadstream antibiotics.

The apology was read to the court as her parents settled a High Court action over the toddler’s death. Separate actions for nervous shock have also been settled on a confidential basis.

In the apology from the clinical director of Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin, Prof Sean Walsh which was read to the court, the hospital said it would like to sincerely apologise to Isla’s family “for failings in care that occurred during her attendance and admission at the hospital in July 2016″.

It added: “The hospital acknowledges the pain and suffering that this has caused to the family. The hospital has implemented changes and improvements as a result of learnings from the clinical review of the care provided to Isla.”

Ms Antoniotti told the court Isla’s family are pleased to learn that the recommendations of the hospital review have been implemented so that “what happened to them does not happen to another family”.

Isla’s parents, Lisa Casey and Fabio Fioravante, of Rathmines, Dublin, in their proceedings claimed the circumstances leading up to and surrounding their daughter’s death over a period of hours and days were utterly shocking.

It was claimed there was a failure to demonstrate an adequate or proper understanding of sepsis in children and a failure to recognise the presence of high-risk criteria for sepsis from the time of Isla’s first attendance at the hospital or take any steps to treat it in an adequate, prompt or timely manner.

It was further claimed there was a failure to recognise, heed or respond to the significance of the child’s presenting complaints on July 12th, 2016.

Noting the settlement and approving the division of the €35,000 statutory mental distress solatium payment, Ms Justice Carmel Stewart said it was a tragic case. She offered her “sincere sympathies to the parents on what had happened to your dear daughter Isla”.