Yahoo News Toddler's death after choking on a cocktail sausage 'misadventure', coroner rules
The death of a toddler who died after she choked on a cocktail sausage was caused by “misadventure”, a coroner has ruled.
Two-year-old Mia Atkins died in July last year after her airway became blocked and she "turned blue and was bleeding from her nose and mouth".
The young girl was rushed to hospital but went into cardiac arrest for 30 minutes and was classed as brain dead. She died later.
A post-mortem result gave Mia's cause of death as upper airway obstruction.
Her parents told an inquest at Maidstone Coroner’s Court that a number of "unfortunate" errors reduced her chances of survival.
The inquest heard that there were delays in answering 999 calls due to a combination of "high demand and below effective staffing", according to the BBC.
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There was also a five-minute wait for an anaesthetist after a "miscommunication".
The family's lawyer said that had the anaesthetist been available immediately, the tube could have been replaced in the windpipe.
Paramedics also put the endotracheal tube in her oesophagus rather than the trachea, so she didn’t get enough oxygen.
But Coroner Roger Hatch said it was a "difficult situation" and Mia's chance of survival was "extremely slim".
He said there were "unfortunate delays" but once the ambulance was dispatched it arrived with "commendable speed".
Speaking after the ruling, Mia's mother, Beth Ranger, said she was "disappointed" and would be looking at taking further action.
The coroner also noted that the previous month Mia had started to choke on a mint, and he suggested that giving her a cocktail sausage had been "unwise".
