Doctor regrets not doing full obs on teen with infected toenail: inquest

A full set of vital signs was only performed on 18-year-old Alex Braes' fourth trip to hospital, the NSW Coroners Court hears
Australian Associated Press
Alex Braes.

The first doctor to treat a teenager, whose death from septicaemia is believed to have been caused by an infected toenail, says in retrospect he should have taken a full set of vital signs. 

Alex Braes, 18, died at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital nearly 46 hours after limping into Broken Hill Base Hospital at 3am on 20 September 2017.

His inquest has heard a full-set of vital signs — including blood pressure, heart rate and temperature — weren’t taken until his fourth presentation about 11am on 21 September.

An internal hospital policy at the time stated it wasn’t mandatory to take all six vital signs for patients deemed non-urgent, as Mr Braes was considered in his first three presentations.