Amateur Footballer Succumbs to Flesh-Eating Virus Following Medical Misdiagnoses
A superfit amateur footballer tragically died from a flesh-eating virus after healthcare professionals repeatedly dismissed his severe symptoms as tonsillitis and sciatica, a coroner's inquest has heard.
Multiple Missed Opportunities in Week-Long Deterioration
Luke Abrahams, a 20-year-old railway engineer from Northampton, passed away from sepsis and necrotising fasciitis at Northampton General Hospital on January 23, 2023. The inquest revealed that in the week preceding his death, Luke had contact with multiple GPs, A&E services, NHS 111, and paramedics, yet critical warning signs were consistently overlooked.
Initially complaining of a sore throat, Luke visited his GP who prescribed antibiotics for suspected tonsillitis. When his condition deteriorated dramatically, leaving him immobile with excruciating leg pain, an out-of-hours doctor conducted a video consultation on January 20 and misdiagnosed sciatica.
Ambulance Service Acknowledges Critical Failure
Just twelve hours after the sciatica diagnosis, Luke's family called 999 as he experienced agonising pain. Despite presenting numerous clinical red flags, ambulance crews decided against hospital transport. Susan Jevons, Head of Patient Safety at East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), testified that Luke should have been transferred to hospital on January 20 and not discharged at home.
"The blood sugar stood out the most for me," Ms Jevons stated during the inquest. "There was no reason his blood sugar levels should have been that high." Luke, who was not diabetic, showed a blood glucose reading of 16, with 17 representing the threshold for automatic A&E referral.
Catalogue of Overlooked Red Flag Symptoms
The inquest heard that paramedics focused excessively on sciatica while failing to adequately consider infection, despite multiple alarming indicators:
- Pain rating of nine out of ten
- Elevated temperature and heart rate
- Markedly increased blood glucose levels
- Dark-coloured urine
- Complete immobility
Ms Jevons emphasised that a pain score of nine should have placed Luke in the "red" category requiring immediate hospital admission, yet he was incorrectly classified as "amber" and this assessment went unchallenged.
Video Consultation Limitations Revealed
Dr Olalowo Olaitan, the out-of-hours GP who diagnosed sciatica via video consultation, testified from Canada that he hadn't spotted any red flag symptoms during the assessment. He explained the video call was conducted because Luke was in too much pain to travel and was having difficulty navigating stairs.
"Based on the fact Luke said it was getting better and he was on antibiotics, I didn't explore that further," Dr Olaitan responded when questioned why the throat infection wasn't investigated more thoroughly. He admitted being unaware of Luke's multiple NHS 111 calls or hospital visit earlier that week.
Parents Campaign for Answers and Systemic Changes
Luke's death was initially recorded as natural causes without an inquest being opened. His parents, Richard Abrahams and Julie Needham, campaigned tirelessly for a formal investigation, believing a "catalogue of errors" contributed to their son's death.
The post-mortem examination revealed Luke had been suffering from septicaemia, Lemierre syndrome (a severe bacterial infection), and necrotising fasciitis - the flesh-eating disease that ultimately proved fatal.
Service Improvements Implemented Following Tragedy
The inquest heard that Luke's case has prompted additional training within ambulance services, including refresher courses on sepsis, Lemierre's syndrome, and necrotising fasciitis. Ms Jevons stressed the importance of clinical judgement beyond numerical scoring systems, remarking: "You should look at your patient – what is your patient telling you?"
The three-day inquest, conducted by assistant coroner Sophie Lomas at The Guildhall in Northampton, continues to examine the circumstances surrounding this tragic case of missed diagnoses and systemic failures in patient assessment.
