The death of a 12-year-old boy who was suffering from undiagnosed Addison’s disease was preventable, an inquest heard.
Ryan Lee Morse had been unwell from July 2012, with his parents noticing his skin darkening and him becoming lethargic and losing weight.
His condition worsened over the following months and he died during the early hours of December 8, 2012.
During the time he was unwell, Ryan’s mother, Carol Ann Morse, took him to Abernant Surgery in Abertillery several times.
She said: “Ryan was rarely ill as a child. In June 2012, which was towards the end of Ryan’s first comprehensive school year, I noticed his skin colour changing.
“His skin seemed to be getting darker.”
She said his joint areas, including elbows and knees, were getting darker. Under his eyes, it looked as if he had not slept for a month. I don’t suppose it worried me at the time because it was gradual.”
A post mortem was held on December 12 by Dr E. J. Lazda, a consultant pathologist at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff who concluded that Ryan died as a result of Addison’s disease.
An inquest into Ryan’s death was held at Newport Coroner’s Court on Thursday.
Dr Yvette Cloette, a consultant paediatrician since 2004, was called during the early hours of December 8, 2012, by a registrar where she was told the details of Ryan’s death.
She said: “Ryan’s parents told me he had been unwell since July.
“It was thought Ryan had been particularly unwell since the Thursday before he passed away. He had to be collected from school that day. On (the) Friday morning, she said he hallucinated. His temperature did settle that afternoon but then he had diarrhoea.
“As his mum was cleaning him, she noticed his genitalia were black.
“I then examined Ryan. At this time I formed the opinion that Ryan may have had Addison’s disease. I didn’t share this with the family at the time because I didn’t have enough evidence.
“I believe that Ryan’s death was preventable. Addison’s is a disease which, once recognised, can be treated.”
She said it was easier to put things together retrospectively, as opposed to when treating an acute illness as a GP.
David Bowen, senior coroner for Gwent, paid tribute to Ryan’s family during the hearing.
“Before summing up, I think it’s right that I pay tribute to the dignity that has been shown by Mrs Morse and her family.
“It can’t have been easy for them to rehear events that took place over five years ago.
“Please accept my belated condolences.”
Mr Bowen told the inquest that Ryan had been fit and well up until July 2012.
“However at about that time, his parents began to notice a gradual change in his skin and a fluctuation in his general health.”
He had been diagnosed with a viral infection and prescribed Paracetamol, he said.
Over the next six to eight weeks, he did not improve.
Mr Bowen said: “Consequently, his mother took him back to the doctor. The GP was more concerned about the rash, it seems to me, than any of the other symptoms.
“He prescribed tablets and cream for that condition.”
Mr Bowen said that during October and November 2012, “Ryan’s health became much more of a concern for his parents.”
He suffered from headaches, pains in his legs, and occasional episodes of projectile vomiting.
On November 7, Mrs Morse took Ryan back to the GP surgery, where she described symptoms to Dr Rudling, who took samples of blood.
On November 21, they returned to receive the blood test results.
The results revealed a “slightly lower than normal” white blood cell count. The inquest heard Ryan was told he was still suffering from a viral infection that had been diagnosed some months earlier.
Mr Bowen said: “It appears that about this time, there was an outbreak of Norovirus or vomiting and sickness in the area that may have confused the diagnosis.”
Mrs Morse said: “I’d been told to bring Ryan back in January so I thought I would just get Christmas out of the way and take him back. I’d been a carer for 9-10 years but my job didn’t give me any insight into what Ryan had.”
On November 29, 2012, Ryan returned to school, but around a week later on December 6 he was so ill that his mum had to collect him early.
The following day, on December 7, Mrs Morse rang Abernant Surgery saying she needed to speak to a doctor.
Between 8.50am and 8.55am, she received a call from Dr Lyndsey Elizabeth Thomas.
Mrs Morse said: “She asked if he’d been given Paracetamol and I explained he wouldn’t take it. She asked what his temperature was like.
“I’d said Ryan was awake (that morning) and talking rubbish.”
The inquest heard Mrs Morse was asked to take Ryan to the surgery, but she said she was unable to.
“She then told me to give Ryan some dissolvable Paracetamol and see how it goes until dinner. She said fetch him up if you need to.”
Dr Lyndsey Elizabeth Thomas said her contact with Ryan was limited to a single telephone conversation with his mother on December 7.
She said: “I considered whether Ryan needed to be seen or admitted to hospital.
“I clearly recall explaining that if she had any concerns or if Ryan’s delirium or temperature didn’t improve in two hours, he would need to be seen, I would be able to go and visit him at the end of the morning surgery if necessary.”
Mrs Morse said she later noticed that her son’s genitals were black.
She rang the surgery and was put her through to Dr Rudling.
Mrs Morse said: “She said ‘it’s all to do with his hormones’. Phone Monday and we’ll fit him in. At this point I didn’t know what to think.
“I was thinking I’ll take him in on Monday and see what they say. There was no more temperature, no more sickness and no more diarrhoea.”
The inquest heard Dr Joanne Louise Rudling, who qualified in 1993, joined Abernant in August 2011.
She said her first contact with Ryan was in November 2012.
On December 7, Dr Rudling said the receptionist took a call from Ryan’s mother while she was in reception.
Dr Rudling said: “I decided to speak to Ryan’s mother in reception there and then.
“She also asked if this could be age related, I said it could be but I would have to examine him first.
“The impression I got was Ryan was improving. His mother was concerned about the darkening of his genitalia.”
Ryan’s father said goodnight around 10.15pm and went to bed. At around 11.10pm Mrs Morse could see Ryan had fallen asleep, and went to sleep herself at around 11.30pm.
She said: “I woke up and saw it was 4.10am and then I looked at Ryan and looking at his chest could see he wasn’t breathing.
“I started to do chest compressions, dialled 999, continued chest compressions until the paramedics arrived. They took over. They told me Ryan had died.”
Mr Bowen said: “This is a rare but natural disease, one which apparently GPs will not normally encounter.
“Unfortunately, neither doctor nor parents thought it necessary to refer Ryan to hospital, where the true nature of his illness may have been diagnosed.”
Recording a narrative conclusion, Mr Bowen said Ryan died of natural causes.
He said: “The opportunity to administer life-saving treatment was missed.”
Speaking after the inquest, Ryan’s sister Christina Morse said: “First of all I would like to thank everyone involved with Ryan and Ryan’s case.
“Today, after five long years, the coroner has come to the conclusion that Ryan’s death was due to natural causes and that Ryan’s death was preventable.”
From http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/boy-died-addisons-disease-after-13687355
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