A teenage girl with big dreams died suddenly after suffering complications during a routine medical procedure.
17-year-old Alexandra Briess from the UK was a “bright” and “well-loved” aspiring doctor who suffered an allergic reaction to Rocuronium – a drug used to cause muscle relaxation and encourage the ventilation of the lungs – after undergoing routine surgery to remove her tonsils.
According to the reports, the girl experienced a “sudden deterioration and cardiac arrest.” She was never before the surgery administered the drug or tested for an allergic reaction.
Besides her plans to study medicine, Alexandra also volunteered at a charity for children and followed in the footsteps of her doctor father and nurse mother.
Dubbing the death as “tragic” but “not new territory,” senior coroner Heidi Connor called on the government to provide better funding for research into the condition while quoting other similar cases resulting in premature deaths due to allergic reactions.
“The only way to improve understanding and prevent or reduce future deaths is to gather information nationally and fund appropriate research.
Appropriate organizations already exist, and there is a lot of goodwill towards improving understanding in this area. It does however require national leadership and ‘joining up’ of these organizations,” Connor said.
“There is significant goodwill and desire to improve amongst numerous organizations involved in anaphylaxis work.
“What is lacking is national leadership and funding. In my view, consideration should be given to creating a leadership role and responsibility within NHS England to coordinate a national approach. Gathering data and using this to research and reduce the risk of future deaths requires funding, and this should be reviewed.”
Following Alexandra’s tragic passing, a fundraiser was launched and $10,000 was raised in the girl’s name. Our thoughts remain with her loved ones.
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