A toddler who was rushed to hospital when she drank toilet cleaner and threw up ‘bright pink vomit’ later died after she was sent home with a diagnosis of potential gastroenteritis, an inquest heard today.
Two-year-old Arietta-Grace Barnett, from Sarisbury Green, near Southampton, Hampshire, was playing with her four-year-old sister at her home when she ingested a capsule of Toilet Duck bleach.
Paramedics rushed the toddler to Southampton General Hospital on June 28 following a report of ‘accidental poisoning’ before she was discharged with the diagnosis of potential gastroenteritis on July 2.
A court heard that a hospital surgeon googled the list of ingredients in toilet bleach before deciding it was not toxic to the two-year-old girl.
However, 11 days later, Arietta-Grace suffered a nose bleed at home before vomiting blood and was again rushed by paramedics to the emergency unit at Southampton General Hospital, where she tragically died.
Two-year-old Arietta-Grace Barnett, from Sarisbury Green, near Southampton, Hampshire, was rushed to Southampton General Hospital on June 28 following a report of ‘accidental poisoning’
Area coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp said today: ‘On 28 June 2019 [Arietta-Grace’s mother] called 111 concerned her daughter may have swallowed a cleaning product while she was downstairs.
‘Arietta was upstairs with her four-year-old sister.
‘She was admitted to hospital and said to be suffering diarrhoea and vomiting which was reported to be pink in colour.’
The toddler was initially sent home with a diagnosis of potential gastroenteritis.
Dr Nicola Trevelyan, who worked in the emergency department of Southampton General Hospital, explained to the coroner that on the day she had met Arietta-Grace, she was not very happy and complaining saying ‘ow mummy, it hurts.’
She told the inquest in Winchester: ‘Nobody had directly seen her swallow anything but her mother Lucy said it was clear she had been playing with the dispenser of the toilet bleach.
‘The child-proof lock had not worked as there had been a bit gouged out of it. Products that look like sweets will attract children to play with them.’
Dr Trevelyan added: ‘There were no obvious signs of problems in her mouth but she had discomfort in her throat. Tonsillitis was queried at one point as she was reluctant to drink, not tolerating solid food and throwing up all liquids.’
The doctor decided to consult Paediatric Surgeon Charlie Keys who was more experienced in the area of ingestion.
‘Dr Keys googled the Toilet Duck ingredient list which showed they were acidic rather than alkaline. He felt the risk of injury to the oesophagus was low. It was felt the product was not particularly toxic,’ she told the inquest.
‘It was decided not to put a scope down the oesophagus and into the stomach as it would involve a general anaesthetic. He felt the risk of doing the procedure outweighed the benefit of it,’ she added.
Arietta-Grace’s parents Lucy Barnett and Scott Barnett both attended their daughter’s inquest at Winchester Coroners Court
The toddler was initially sent home with a diagnosis of potential gastroenteritis on July 2
However, later it was confirmed by paediatric pathologist Dr Sam Holden, in a post-mortem examination on the two-year-old’s body, that there was clearly something there that had damaged the oesophagus.
The coroner heard that the diagnosis of the toddler changed to viral gastroenteritis due to the vomiting, diarrhoea and temperature and on July 2 she was discharged home to be with her family.
Reading reports from the paramedics who attended the scene, Coroner Rhodes-Kemp told the court: ‘They received a call regarding a young child who had possibly ingested toilet freshener.
‘They were told the child had managed to get into the family bathroom and ingested one disc of toilet freshener and vomited bright pink.’
However more than a week after Arietta-Grace had returned home, her mother found her lying in bed one morning with blood around her mouth.
Coroner Rhodes-Kemp continued: ‘Sadly she was re-admitted on 9 July in cardiac arrest having suffered bleeding at home earlier that day and it wasn’t possible to revive Arietta and she died in the hospital.’
Arietta-Grace (pictured with her mother Lucy) was rushed back to hospital 11 days after she was discharged
The toddler’s parents Lucy Barnett and Scott Barnett both attended their daughter’s inquest today at Winchester Coroners Court, Hampshire.
After reading out the opening facts of the case, Coroner Rhodes-Kemp said: ‘Of particular note for me is on the first occasion the vomit was bright pink and I am going to try and explore this as we go through this.
‘I am hoping someone is going to be able to help me in that the toilet cleaner was blue and the vomit was pink because I don’t understand it.’
The inquest, which is set to last two days, continues.