‘Mistakes’: Man, 20, died of flesh-eating virus after doctors misdiagnosed symptoms as tonsillitis

Luke Abrahams died of septicemia, a bacterial infection and a flesh-eating disease, but was diagnosed with tonsillitis. (SWNS)

A healthy young man died from a flesh-eating virus after doctors misdiagnosed him as having tonsillitis.

Luke Abrahams, 20, was originally prescribed antibiotics after going to his GP who was unwell and suffering from a sore throat, but his condition worsened and within days he was hospitalized but died during surgery.

A post-mortem revealed that he had suffered from blood poisoning, Lemierre syndrome – a form of bacterial infection – and necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease.

His parents have now criticized medics for making a “catalogue of errors” that they say has missed several opportunities to save their son.

The 20-year-old’s father, Richard, 60, said: “I can’t say if he would definitely be here now but they swabbed and misdiagnosed him.

“However you look at it, none of the healthcare providers have done their jobs properly. We’re left with the ‘what if’.”

Luke Abrahams (centre) with his family – father Richard (left), mother Julie Needham, 49, and younger brother Jake, 16 (right). (SWNS)

Abrahams was initially diagnosed with tonsillitis after calling his GP at Penvale Medical Center in East Hunsbury, Northamptonshire on January 15.

Two days later he was still unwell so he called his GP but couldn’t get through and his family said when no one called him back he dialed 111.

The operator advised Abrahams, who was a keen footballer, to go to A&E, where he was told he would be put on an IV drip, but his family says that never happened and he left the hospital without treatment.

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The following day, the 20-year-old suffered from leg pain and after another 111 call followed by a Zoom consultation with a doctor, he was diagnosed with sciatica and prescribed naproxen – an anti-inflammatory pain reliever.

But his condition continued to deteriorate and he was unable to get out of bed, prompting his mother to call an ambulance and beg for him, as well as to call her doctors and ask for help getting him to the emergency room.

An ambulance was eventually dispatched to the family home, but paramedics determined that Abraham’s high heart rate and temperature were due to him battling an infection.

Luke Abraham’s mother Julie (left) and father are now considering legal action after they claim their son was misdiagnosed. (SWNS)

Two days later, on January 22, the railroad engineer said to his mother, “I can’t take the pain anymore,” and an ambulance was again dispatched to the family home and he was taken to the hospital.

“They took him to the hospital for further tests and that was it, we got a call at 1am from Luke saying ‘can you come down, they want to see you’ and that’s when we were told he had a 50/ 50 chance has survived,” said his mother Julie Needham, 49,.

“The doctors said he was very bad, he had this bacterial eating infection and it was a life-threatening situation.”

Medics amputated her son’s leg, but Abrahams died in the operation

The Northampton couple, who also have a younger son Jake, 16, are now considering legal action, accusing doctors of a “catalog of errors” that led to their son being misdiagnosed.

Richard Abrahams said: “We will not stop fighting this case and we want answers. I don’t want condolences, I want answers.

“It’s a catalog of mistakes. Nobody is going to bring him back, but I want these people to be punished.

“I don’t take any of that ‘we’ll learn from our mistakes’, there’s too much of that happening, someone should have picked it up for a proper test.”

He added: “No one has taken responsibility for his death.

“When he first went to the doctor and then started complaining about pain in his leg, he should have had more tests.

“What is the point of telephone consultations with the doctor. Doctors need to see you in person to make a correct diagnosis and that’s why he was misdiagnosed.”

A spokesman for Integrated Care Northamptonshire said: “On behalf of the NHS in Northamptonshire we would like to send our sincere condolences to the family and our thoughts are with them at this very difficult time.

“All providers are reviewing the care and treatment provided in this case and until their reviews are complete it would not be appropriate to comment further.”

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