Toddler Ryan Saunders died of toxic shock

A TODDLER who died in a central Queensland hospital had suffered from toxic shock syndrome and not a twisted bowel, a coroner has found.

Ryan Saunders

A TODDLER who died in a central Queensland hospital had suffered from toxic shock syndrome and not a twisted bowel, a coroner has found.

Queensland's chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young today released parts of a coroner's report into the death of two-year-old Ryan Saunders.

Ryan had stomach pains when he was taken on September 24 to Emerald Hospital, west of Rockhampton, and later transferred to Rockhampton Hospital when it was feared he may have a twisted bowel.

It has been alleged that Ryan was ignored by doctors at Rockhampton for more than 24 hours and died the next day.

The opposition used Ryan's case in state parliament to highlight problems in the health system.

Dr Young told reporters in Brisbane today Ryan had a rare, invasive streptococcus bacteria infection, which caused toxic shock.

She said there had been only 32 cases of the infection among Queensland children under five in the past two years.

The bacteria was deadlier than meningococcal, she said.

Dr Young said she did not believe that any extra steps could have been taken by hospital staff to save Ryan's life.

"Ryan did have the appropriate care," Dr Young said.

"He was managed by two very senior pediatricians in Rockhampton with over 30 years' experience."

But communication between hospital staff and the family could have been better, Dr Young said.

The coroner found in his report that "communication between the hospital staff and the family was sub-optimal and this certainly added to the anguish of the family".

Dr Young said, however, the poor communication did not contribute to Ryan's death.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh today discussed the autopsy findings with the director-general of Queensland Health, and asked for new protocols and guidelines be put in place to prevent another communication breakdown.

She said further investigations were likely and the findings would be made public.

"I am not interested in anything other than the truth in relation to this little boy's death," she said.

The state coroner's office confirmed it was assessing the report but no decision had been made on an inquest.

Opposition health spokesman John-Paul Langbroek said the findings show Queensland Health had failed to learn the lessons of past experiences, including the Jayant Patel scandal in Bundaberg.

"It's happened in Bundaberg in the disaster there where it had a lot to do with communications, and that's my concern - the culture doesn't seem to change in Queensland Health," he said.

Dr Young, who met with Ryan's parents in Emerald yesterday, said while they were shocked to learn their son did not die of a twisted bowel, they accepted the findings.