Parv Patel · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On the 19ᵗʰ day of November 2014 I opened an investigation touching the death of Parv Patel, 4 years old. The inquest concluded on the 14ᵗʰ September 2015 The conclusion of the inquest was “Narrative”, the medical cause of death was 1a Influenza A infection

Parv Patel ,aged 4 years old, was taken to hospital on the 28ᵗʰ November 2014 suffering with an infection. By 02.00hrs the following morning he had become seriously unwell with symptoms of heart failure as a part of a septic picture, the fact that he was experiencing symptoms of heart failure at this time was not recognized until much later the following day at 09.45 hrs. A doctor decided reasonably, to intubate Parv which, due to the development of a cardiac tamponade, precipitated his cardiac arrest and death at 13.25hrs in the early afternoon.

Parv Patel died following intubation having suffered a rare complication of flu.

That PEWS scores do not reflect current research into child illness.

And that the Pews scores may tend to act to distract the doctors away from the fact that despite a low PEWS score a child might be seriously ill