A TEENAGER who died on Christmas Eve after suffering a series of cardiac arrests was a “unique” case, an inquest heard today.

Amy Carter, 15, of Santa Maria Way, Stourport, was discharged from Worcestershire Royal Hospital with glandular fever on December 21 last year but then developed a fatal infection which caused her death when she returned three days later.

Margaret Barnard, deputy coroner for Worcestershire, ruled that the former Stourport High School and VIth Form Centre pupil died of natural causes.

She heard evidence that Miss Carter was correctly diagnosed, treated and then discharged from a series of medical witnesses.

However, Miss Carter's parents, Richard and Jacqueline Carter, are considering taking legal action against Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

They say the care she received was “inadequate” and that more could have been done to save her.

Mrs Barnard advised that an inquest was “not a court of blame” and was not the right forum to determine whether or not this was an issue.

Results from a throat swab taken in hospital revealed Miss Carter had Group A streptococcus, a commonly found bacteria, in her throat.

The medical cause of death given was right upper lobe pneumonia and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) due to beta haemolytic streptocloccus Group A infection.

Dr Andrew Short, the trust's clinical director for paediatrics who carried out an investigation into Miss Carter’s death, said she had suffered from “a rare and overwhelming” type of infection that could have taken effect rapidly.

He told the inquest at Stourport Coroner’s Court that of all the cases of children with STSS over the past two years not one was associated with glandular fever and that this case was “unique.”

Dr Mary Hanlon, the consultant paediatrician responsible for care on the ward when Miss Carter was discharged, said it was not “medical practice” to treat Group A streptococcus when it was first detected.

While considering a cause of death of septicaemia, she added that in hindsight, Miss Carter’s treatment would not have been any different had the results been available sooner.

After being discharged from hospital on December 21, Amy was taken to an out-of-hours GP the following day but no serious health problems were detected and she was again diagnosed with glandular fever.

On Christmas Eve, after her health deteriorated she was taken back to hospital by ambulance at about noon.

She was successfully resuscitated three times before suffering a final fourth arrest.