The mother of a Melbourne toddler who died after swallowing a button battery has urged parents to voice their concerns to doctors, following an inquest into her daughter's death. Isabella Rees, known as Bella, died in February 2015 after 19 days of illness, having been sent home from hospital three times with a diagnosis of a urinary tract infection.
On her fourth visit to Sunshine Hospital's emergency department, doctors discovered a tiny battery in her oesophagus, but it was too late to save her. Coroner Caitlin English ruled that the hospital's medical care was 'reasonable', noting the difficulty in diagnosing battery ingestion due to non-specific symptoms such as fever, vomiting and discoloured stools.
Parents Allison and Rob Rees had repeatedly told hospital staff that Bella may have swallowed something, but these concerns were not recorded in medical notes. However, the coroner was not satisfied that recording these 'vague' concerns would have changed the outcome, as no incident of swallowing, gagging or choking was witnessed.
Outside court, Allison Rees thanked the coroner for her 'sensitive and caring' approach and said she hoped Bella's story could prevent future tragedies. 'We believe our beautiful Bella could've been saved, especially if early detection and intervention of a button battery ingestion was made,' she said. 'Make sure you voice your concerns. Make sure you are being heard. Because it just might save your child's life.'
The inquest heard that an X-ray is the 'gold standard' for diagnosing swallowed batteries, but doctors must be careful not to overuse them. The coroner supported recommendations for law changes to improve safety provisions for consumer products, including button batteries, and suggested awareness campaigns around major events.
Western Health, which operates Sunshine Hospital, welcomed the findings and offered condolences to the family. Chief medical officer Dr Paul Eleftheriou said the hospital had taken steps to reduce the likelihood of such a tragedy recurring.
