Posted on 09/23/2009 9:06:46 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
MANNING, SC (WIS) - A 11-year-old Sumter girl who attended Laurence Manning Academy has died according to her family.
Ashley Pipkin's family says she died while riding in an ambulance headed to Palmetto Health Richland hospital in Columbia around 2pm Wednesday.
Hospital officials say Pipkin died of pneumonia from flu-like symptoms she had been suffering from. Pipkin's family adds Ashley had already visited Tuomey Medical Center in Sumter twice for the same issues.
Ashley's mom, Brandi, says the 5th grader felt fine last Friday and didn't feel any symptoms until Monday when she woke up sick.
Brandi says Ashley was diagnosed with the flu on Monday and was given Robitussin with codeine. She believes Ashley had a bad reaction to the codeine on Tuesday because she woke up with red welts all over her body.
Doctors at Tuomey then diagnosed her with pneumonia in her left lung, but it began to creep over to her right lung.
Ashley's family is obviously very shocked and saddened by her death. They described her as athletic and energetic.
"This is very serious," said Ashley's cousin, Selena Moore. "For Ashley to be as healthy as she was and this just hit her Monday and here it is Wednesday we're mourning her death. Please, any onset of any symptoms, please go to your doctor, go to the emergency room and be seen."
Laurence Manning Academy Headmaster Spencer Jordan shut the school down on Tuesday after nearly 300 students stayed home sick. He couldn't imagine the situation would lead to death.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to Ashley's family," said Jordan.
Pipkin's also says that every time Ashley got sick that she had trouble breathing, so officials are looking into that further.
Ashley's father, Tony, is currently in the emergency room for the flu and her brother is also being checked out for flu-like symptoms.
I’m from this area and the hospital she went to allegedly sent her home Monday and told her parents to give her Robitussin.
There are a lot of rumors spreading around, but the hospital in Sumter where she went does not have a good reputation. Most people around here refer to it as “Tomb-ee” instead of Toumey.
Prayers inbound.
RIP Ashley.
Sounds like they got the dregs when it comes to doctors. I saw a pictures of the child on the news tonight. She was so pretty and athletic. If I were her parent, I would be hiring the best lawyer in the state and own that hospital and those doctors would be losing their licenses.
The hospital must one of the ones owned by HCA. One of the owners was in Congress from Tenn. I have nothing good to say about them.
Yes they do.
CDC: Rapid tests miss many swine flu cases
Findings suggest doctors should simply treat symptoms
By Julie Steenhuysen
Reuters
updated 4:44 p.m. ET, Thurs., Sept . 24, 2009
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33006971/ns/health-swine_flu/
CHICAGO - A study of rapid influenza tests found they miss many cases of swine flu, and U.S. health experts said on Thursday they are not worth the trouble for this flu season.
A study looking at the effectiveness of a rapid flu test in the first few weeks of the H1N1 pandemic in May found it detected less than half of the cases later confirmed by more sophisticated tests.
The findings, which appeared in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly report on death and disease, confirm the CDC’s current guidelines, which stress that people with flu-like symptoms should get quick treatment, before getting a flu test.
This woman is dead from a false negative swineflu test . If she was given Tamiflu she would be alive today .
Flu Victim Family’s Statement
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-utah-third-deaths-family-statement,0,4966333.story
7:40 PM MDT, June 14, 2009
Our family would like to express thanks to the Shock and Trauma unit at IMCH. And to those who have prayed and supported our family over the past 2 weeks.
Francine and her mother became ill with the flu two weeks ago today. Her mother tested positive and was treated for the flu and has since recovered. Francine tested negative and was sent home. Her health continued to decline, and three days later she was taken to Jordan Valley Hospital. For the second time she tested negative, was sent home, and told to increase fluids and rest.
We begged the doctors to treat her with Tama flu because it had helped her mother, but they refused because her test had come back negative. After another three days she became incapacitated, and was again taken to Jordan Valley where she was admitted and found to have pneumonia, plus all of the symptoms associated with the flu, but once again tested negative. At this point she had had the flu for approximately eight days, untreated. Her condition continued to decline, and on Tuesday was transferred to IMC Hospital. By this time her body was so ravaged from the virus that her kidneys and lungs started to fail and brain activity had diminished. On Wednesday, June 10 we received a positive Type-A flu test, and on Thursday we received, from the CDC, a positive test for H1N1, Swine Flu.
After fighting a valiant battle she succumbed to this illness. It has been reported that she had underlying illnesses that contributed to her death, but according to her doctors she died from lung damage, kidney failure, and brain damage which were all strong and healthy prior to contracting the virus.
Have you read this from the CDC ?
Asking doctors to look for Hemorrhagic Pneumonia in swineflu cases ?
http://www.ncmedsoc.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/HemorrhagicPneumonia.pdf
http://www.ncmedsoc.org/blog/index.php/archives/category/influenza-a-h1n1-updates
NORTH CAROLINA
The State Health Director has issued a temporary order requiring North Carolina physicians to report all influenza-associated deaths in persons 18 years of age or older. Influenza deaths in children less than 18 years of age have been legally reportable since 2004. This order is necessary to enhance influenza surveillance during the current pandemic. For surveillance purposes, an influenza-associated death is defined as a death resulting from a clinically compatible illness that was confirmed to be influenza (either seasonal or pandemic) by an appropriate laboratory or rapid diagnostic test. Physicians should report all influenza-associated deaths to their local health department within 24 hours after death occurs.
http://www.ncmedsoc.org/blog/index.php/archives/category/influenza-a-h1n1-updates
Very interesting. Maybe things are suddenly worsening? (btw, I’m not at all an alarmist). Thanks for the links.
Prayers for Ashley and family.
This flu website has alot of interesting info ...
They have doctors , nurses , microbiologists ,etc.. who posted there..
flu pandemic site:
http://www.singtomeohmuse.com/viewforum.php?f=1
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