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'SWINE FLU' TURNED OUT TO BE MENINGITIS
Tuesday December 1,2009
WHEN Edward Kirkman phoned his GP?s surgery complaining of a severe headache and raging temperature he was told he probably had swine flu.
When his condition worsened he went to see his doctor, who told him to go home and take a painkiller. He then began to lose his balance, collapsing at home every few hours. He went to his local accident and emergency department but was turned away three times, with the words ?swine flu? ringing in his ears.
It was only after he knocked himself unconscious after another collapse that he was admitted to hospital for further tests. It was discovered he had bacterial meningitis, which can kill within hours or cause permanent disability such as loss of limbs, blindness, deafness and brain damage.
Edward, 59, a retired engineer from Chaddesdon, Derbyshire, isn?t an isolated case. Earlier this year Jasvir Kaur Gill, 48, was given a telephone diagnosis of swine flu and told to take Tamiflu but just 12 hours later the mother-of-three from Leicester collapsed and was taken to hospital. She died of meningococcal septicaemia four days later.
In August the parents of two-year-old Georgia Keeling, from Norwich, were twice told their daughter had the H1N1 virus and should stay at home. The toddler died in hospital from meningitis a day later. The Meningitis Trust says it is concerned that cases of the disease are being missed because the early symptoms are similar to that of swine flu.
?The two illnesses are so similar it is easy to misdiagnose, even more so over the phone,? says the charity?s spokeswoman Harriet Penning. ?We would like people to feel brave enough to challenge their doctor.
?You should trust your gut instinct and remember that no one knows yourself or your child better than you. If you have meningitis you don?t have time to waste. It is a matter of life and death.?
Edward says the person he has to thank for his life is his wife Sue, 58, who refused to accept that her husband had swine flu.
?I don?t think I?d be here today without Sue?s persistence,? says Edward, a father of three. ?She knew I didn?t have swine flu. She didn?t know what it was but she knew it was serious. My head hurt so much it felt like it was going to explode.?
Professor Simon Kroll, head professor of paediatrics and molecular infectious diseases at Imperial College and St Mary?s Hospital in London, admits doctors get it wrong sometimes. ?You must never feel you can?t go back and challenge the advice you have been given,? he says.
?If you feel the health of someone in your family is deteriorating then phone your doctor again or take them to your GP to be seen or to the hospital if they are going downhill rapidly.?
While those most at risk from meningitis are children under five, teenagers and young adults, it can strike anyone, as Edward discovered. Once admitted to hospital spinal fluid was extracted and tested and he was given a mouth swab. By the time the test results revealed the disease, Edward was hallucinating.
He was immediately put on a course of strong antibiotics to kill the bug and was in hospital for more than a fortnight before he was well enough to return home.
?I know I?m lucky,? says Edward. ?I?ve since learned I could have lost my life or suffered lifelong effects.
?I?m thankful for everything the doctors did for me once I was admitted.
My fear is that it will happen again to someone else who may not be so lucky.?
Meningitis is caused when the protective layers around the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. It?s most commonly caused by bacteria and viruses. Bacterial meningitis can be life-threatening and some bacteria can cause both meningitis and septicaemia, which is blood poisoning. Viral meningitis can make people very unwell but the majority make a good recovery.
?Most people associate meningitis with a rash,? says Harriet. ?Symptoms can appear in any order and some may not appear at all. Never wait for a rash. If someone is ill or obviously getting worse get medical help immediately.?
Edward?s wife Sue, an administrator, says she still feels angry that her husband was sent home so many times.
?We?ve been together for 45 years and I know him better than any doctor.
I knew he had something more serious than flu. People must go with their gut feeling even when a doctor tells you different.
?Luckily I did, otherwise I may not have Ed with me now.?
For more details visit www.meningitis-trust.orgor call the 24-hour helpline staffed by nurses: 0800 028 1828.
For more information on swine flu visit www.nhs.uk
Tuesday December 1,2009
WHEN Edward Kirkman phoned his GP?s surgery complaining of a severe headache and raging temperature he was told he probably had swine flu.
When his condition worsened he went to see his doctor, who told him to go home and take a painkiller. He then began to lose his balance, collapsing at home every few hours. He went to his local accident and emergency department but was turned away three times, with the words ?swine flu? ringing in his ears.
It was only after he knocked himself unconscious after another collapse that he was admitted to hospital for further tests. It was discovered he had bacterial meningitis, which can kill within hours or cause permanent disability such as loss of limbs, blindness, deafness and brain damage.
Edward, 59, a retired engineer from Chaddesdon, Derbyshire, isn?t an isolated case. Earlier this year Jasvir Kaur Gill, 48, was given a telephone diagnosis of swine flu and told to take Tamiflu but just 12 hours later the mother-of-three from Leicester collapsed and was taken to hospital. She died of meningococcal septicaemia four days later.
In August the parents of two-year-old Georgia Keeling, from Norwich, were twice told their daughter had the H1N1 virus and should stay at home. The toddler died in hospital from meningitis a day later. The Meningitis Trust says it is concerned that cases of the disease are being missed because the early symptoms are similar to that of swine flu.
?The two illnesses are so similar it is easy to misdiagnose, even more so over the phone,? says the charity?s spokeswoman Harriet Penning. ?We would like people to feel brave enough to challenge their doctor.
?You should trust your gut instinct and remember that no one knows yourself or your child better than you. If you have meningitis you don?t have time to waste. It is a matter of life and death.?
Edward says the person he has to thank for his life is his wife Sue, 58, who refused to accept that her husband had swine flu.
?I don?t think I?d be here today without Sue?s persistence,? says Edward, a father of three. ?She knew I didn?t have swine flu. She didn?t know what it was but she knew it was serious. My head hurt so much it felt like it was going to explode.?
Professor Simon Kroll, head professor of paediatrics and molecular infectious diseases at Imperial College and St Mary?s Hospital in London, admits doctors get it wrong sometimes. ?You must never feel you can?t go back and challenge the advice you have been given,? he says.
?If you feel the health of someone in your family is deteriorating then phone your doctor again or take them to your GP to be seen or to the hospital if they are going downhill rapidly.?
While those most at risk from meningitis are children under five, teenagers and young adults, it can strike anyone, as Edward discovered. Once admitted to hospital spinal fluid was extracted and tested and he was given a mouth swab. By the time the test results revealed the disease, Edward was hallucinating.
He was immediately put on a course of strong antibiotics to kill the bug and was in hospital for more than a fortnight before he was well enough to return home.
?I know I?m lucky,? says Edward. ?I?ve since learned I could have lost my life or suffered lifelong effects.
?I?m thankful for everything the doctors did for me once I was admitted.
My fear is that it will happen again to someone else who may not be so lucky.?
Meningitis is caused when the protective layers around the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. It?s most commonly caused by bacteria and viruses. Bacterial meningitis can be life-threatening and some bacteria can cause both meningitis and septicaemia, which is blood poisoning. Viral meningitis can make people very unwell but the majority make a good recovery.
?Most people associate meningitis with a rash,? says Harriet. ?Symptoms can appear in any order and some may not appear at all. Never wait for a rash. If someone is ill or obviously getting worse get medical help immediately.?
Edward?s wife Sue, an administrator, says she still feels angry that her husband was sent home so many times.
?We?ve been together for 45 years and I know him better than any doctor.
I knew he had something more serious than flu. People must go with their gut feeling even when a doctor tells you different.
?Luckily I did, otherwise I may not have Ed with me now.?
For more details visit www.meningitis-trust.orgor call the 24-hour helpline staffed by nurses: 0800 028 1828.
For more information on swine flu visit www.nhs.uk
