“The evidence at the inquest was that a temperature reading above 38°C following a burn to…”

The coroner’s concerns

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— The evidence at the inquest was that a temperature reading above 38°C following a burn to a young child is highly concerning, and could be an early sign of septicaemia and toxic shock syndrome. (1) The temperature reading of 38.9°C at the GP did not trigger an urgent referral to hospital. (2) Eddie’s mother was clear that she reported this temperature reading to the nurse at Chelsea & Westminster when she telephoned soon after the GP appointment. This reading is not recorded in the telephone note and the parents were not told to bring Eddie back to hospital. (3) The evidence was that scaiding injuries amongst children are very common but that toxic shock syndrome is very rare. in their evidence the hospital witnesses helpfully considered whether the information leaflet could be reviewed so as to assist other health professionals who may be less aware of the potential significance of high temperature foliowing a burn and the availability of 24 hour telephone advice from the burns unit.

An extract. Read the full report, including the circumstances of the death, on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary website.

Source

judiciary.uk, Prevention of Future Deaths reports, 2018-0142

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8 Oct 2026

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, judiciary.uk. Open Government Licence v3.0