Medical Error Led to Tragic Death of 6-Year-Old Following Measles Diagnosis
Failure to Administer Proper Treatment Blamed for Child’s Death
A Texas hospital’s failure to provide timely and appropriate treatment led to the tragic death of a 6-year-old girl who developed pneumonia after a measles infection. Medical experts, after reviewing her records, determined that her death was caused by a critical medical error, not measles itself.
According to Dr. Pierre Kory, an expert in pulmonary and critical care medicine, the child succumbed to secondary bacterial pneumonia due to a delay in administering the correct antibiotic. The medical records, obtained by Children’s Health Defense from the grieving family, reveal a series of missteps in the hospital’s treatment plan.
Critical Errors in Treatment
The hospital initially misdiagnosed the child’s bacterial pneumonia and administered an inappropriate antibiotic, vancomycin, instead of the recommended combination of a beta-lactam and a macrolide (such as azithromycin). As a result, her condition deteriorated rapidly. By the time the correct antibiotic was finally administered—over two days later—it was too late to reverse the damage. The child was placed on a ventilator and passed away within hours.
“This case was tragic,” said Dr. Kory in an exclusive interview with CHD. “This child did not die from measles. She died due to a failure in medical treatment.”
A Call for Accountability and Awareness
The girl’s family shared their story to prevent similar tragedies from happening to other children. Dr. Ben Edwards, another medical expert who reviewed the case, emphasized that the father simply wanted the truth to be known—without inflaming the ongoing debate around measles and vaccination.
“This isn’t about taking sides,” Edwards said. “It’s about recognizing the risks—both of measles and of the medical interventions surrounding it. We need open, honest discussions to ensure children receive the best possible care.”
A 2016 study by Johns Hopkins University found that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. This case is yet another tragic example of the dangers posed by mismanagement in hospital settings. This statistic is also true in Canada.
Read original article from CHD's The Defender HERE
Watch the CHD.TV Interview with Dr. Pierre Kory
For an in-depth analysis of the medical errors that led to this child’s death, watch Dr. Pierre Kory’s interview on CHD.TV below:
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