The deputy coroner for Birmingham & Solihull, Ms Elaine Ormond-Walshe, concluded at the end of an inquest into the death of Curtis Thompson that he: 'died suffering an idiosyncratic drug reaction in relation to treatment given to treat natural disease and suffering further medical complications thereon'.
The narrative verdict delivered on June 14th continued: 'He was started on anti-tuberculosis medication, one or more of these drugs used caused liver damage which is a known complication of one or more of the drugs, resulted in an idiosyncratic drug reaction that damaged his liver so severely he required a liver transplant.' Main causes of death were given as multi organ failure and sepsis.
Following the verdict into Curtis' death his mother Ms Bernard said: 'Having sat through three days of evidence, the Inquest has addressed some of the concerns that I had about Curtis' treatment but it has also raised a number of further concerns in relation to the treatment Curtis received at both New Cross Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital.'
'I am concerned that New Cross Hospital did not manage Curtis's reaction to the anti TB medication properly. During the evidence we heard that a request was made for a liver function test to be carried out on 7th and 8th October 2010 but this was not done until 11th October. When it was eventually done on the 11th October the tests showed that Curtis was in liver failure. I wonder whether an earlier liver function test would have resulted in different treatment which would have avoided the liver failure and the need for a liver transplant'.
'In relation to his care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, I am concerned that they failed to properly manage his nutrition and also they failed to treat an infection on the 16th April 2011 with the appropriate antibiotics. I am left wondering whether he would still be with us today if he had received proper nutritional treatment and antibiotics for his infection. I will be consulting with my solicitors to decide what steps to take next'.
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