Man pleaded for help days before appendicitis death

A man died after repeated pleas for medical help over several days before he was admitted to hospital with appendicitis, an inquest has heard.

Adam Ali Hussain, 23, complained of worsening abdominal pain and vomiting before he was admitted to the Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham after a cardiac arrest on 15 May.

He underwent emergency surgery, but he died the following day of multiple organ failure.

On Tuesday, the inquest was told Mr Hussain called 999 and the NHS non-emergency line several times between 12 and 15 May, complaining of vomiting, pain and dizziness and blood in his urine before his hospital admission.

A doctor recorded Mr Hussain's provisional cause of death as multiple organ failure caused by septic shock, and an underlying cause of complicated appendicitis with perforation and parotitis - an inflammation of salivary glands.

Assistant coroner Dr Elizabeth Didcock said the inquest, at Nottingham Coroner's Court, would focus on the days that led up to Mr Hussain's death.

In the days before he was taken to hospital, Mr Hussain's condition was not deemed serious enough to warrant an emergency response, the inquest was told.

Mr Hussain first called 999 at 07:20 BST on 12 May to say he had abdominal pain that had persisted for more than eight hours and that he had been vomiting.

He was advised to take pain relief and that his GP would call him back within 24 hours.

However, the inquest heard this advice was incorrect and Mr Hussain should instead have been told he should contact his GP within two hours.

He called 999 again at 08:37, complaining the pain was getting worse and his breathing was becoming more difficult.

On that occasion, Mr Hussain was advised to make his own way to the walk-in centre, which he did.

He was subsequently triaged to the urgent treatment centre and discharged at 11:29 the same day.

At 16:22, Mr Hussain's brother Qasim Hussain made a third call to 999 on his brother's behalf, saying he was shaking due to the pain he was in.

Mr Hussain told a call handler himself that he had "pain all over his body", was confused and his breathing was "harder and faster".

He was once again advised to make his own way to the urgent treatment centre, to which he responded he had "already been earlier that day".

The inquest heard Mr Hussain ended the call before more advice about worsening symptoms could be given.

On 14 May at 12:45, Mr Hussain called 111 - the NHS non-emergency number - and later spoke to a health advisor who informed Mr Hussain that an ambulance would attend.

An ambulance was not sent and on the same day at 20:23, Mr Hussain called 999 complaining of further symptoms.

He said he was faint, had blood in his urine, had heart palpitations and had difficulty speaking.

During the call, which was heard in court, Mr Hussain was initially told an ambulance would be sent to him, but shortly after was told he would have to make his own way to hospital.

Mr Hussain told the call handler "I can't walk", and was then told a clinician would contact him and urged him to keep his phone with him.

Of the call, Dr Didcock said: "What really struck me when you listen to it, is how exhausted [Mr Hussain] sounds and that he is unable to complete a sentence because he is breathless and I think the [emergency medical advisor] missed that."

In a statement read to the court, Mr Hussain was described by his foster parents, family members and friends as a "remarkable young man" who was "ambitious, responsible, loving and caring".

The inquest continues.

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