A medical negligence solicitor is warning parents of the signs of hepatitis to look for in their children as cases rise across the UK. As of the April 23, 2022, at least 169 cases of acute hepatitis in children have been reported in 12 different countries.
The majority of confirmed cases are from the UK with 114 children diagnosed so far. This is followed by 13 in Spain, 12 in Israel and 9 in the USA. The cases have affected children between the ages of 1 and 16 years old and among these 17 have needed liver transplants and one child has sadly died.
Health officials are continuing to look into several possible causes of the surge, though mounting evidence suggests that a strain of adenovirus called F41 is the probable cause.
Sinead Connolly, parent and Medical Negligence Solicitor at Patient Claim Line , has shared the symptoms of hepatitis to look out for in children, and explains what you can do if your child has received a misdiagnosis or delayed treatment.
What is hepatitis and what are the symptoms that can develop in children?
“Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is caused by a variety of infectious viruses and presents with various symptoms, a number of which are common for many childhood illnesses. In many of the WHO reported cases, children suffered from gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting before this progressed to severe acute hepatitis. Many of the children did not have a fever.”
“As a parent, how then can we know when sickness is more serious than common childhood illnesses? In hepatitis, the significant symptom to look out for is jaundice: when skin, and whites of eyes may appear yellow. Jaundice frequently indicates a problem with the liver.”
“Studies show that parents or caregivers are the first people to spot a deterioration in a child’s health. Parents or caregivers know their children better than anyone else, and if you think something is just not right, then you should contact your GP, or hospital for advice.”
How difficult is it to diagnose a child with hepatitis?
“For doctors, diagnosing children is difficult; the problem for medical professionals is that young children and babies cannot verbalise and tell us what is wrong, or where it hurts, and so an exact diagnosis is not easy.”
“Given a lot of childhood illnesses have similar symptoms including high temperature, lethargy and reduced appetite, this makes diagnosis much more difficult for medics. A frightening additional risk and complication is that young children can deteriorate rapidly. However, with the knowledge and advice from the WHO that hepatitis is increasing in children in the UK at present, medics should ensure that this is considered and ruled out for any child that presents with relevant symptoms.”
How do clinicians diagnose hepatitis and how is the condition treated?
“There are tools to help clinicians diagnose serious infection or illness in children. Paediatric Early Warning Signs, PEWS, allows clinicians to identify those children who are at risk of rapid deterioration and serious illness. Checks on heartbeat, pulse, temperature amongst other factors are all taken together to provide a score, and a raised PEWS should alert clinicians that something may be wrong and that the child should be assessed within a certain time.”
“If a child is suspected to have hepatitis, there are a number of antiviral medications that can be used to fight the virus and slow its ability to damage their liver.”
What are my legal rights if my child has experienced a delayed hepatitis diagnosis?
“Many of us know how terrifying it can be when your child is sick and you are anxiously waiting for the doctor to tell you what is wrong and how they can fix it. When that advice is wrong and the result is devastating for you and your child, there may be a medical negligence claim. If hepatitis is left untreated, it can lead to liver damage which can have significant lifelong effects and could lead to the need for a liver transplant.”
“Children are minors, and as such are unable to bring a medical negligence claim for themselves. If a claim is to be brought for a child, a litigation friend must be appointed to represent them, often the parent but other categories of people can do so too. A litigation friend must fulfil certain criteria: they must be able to competently act for the child, take all steps and decisions for the benefit of the child and have no personal interest in the claim.”
“The advice of medical experts is obtained and they will prepare reports on the treatment that was received and, if appropriate, further reports on the child’s condition and future prognosis. If an award of damages is granted for the child, approval by the court is needed. Not all medical negligence cases will require involvement of the court but in cases where a damages award is given for a minor, any settlement monies must be approved by a judge at a hearing. This hearing is called an infant approval hearing. Whilst attending court can seem daunting, infant approval hearings are often informal and quick, and the purpose is simply for the court to ensure any award is fair and reasonable for the child.”
