Gold Coast Court: Tania Anne Brown sues Gold Coast University Hospital for $2m after developing toxic shock syndrome

A Gold Coast woman was told to have her family come see her for their “last opportunity” after she developed a horror condition following giving birth, according to court documents. She is now suing for millions.

A woman is suing after she developed toxic shock syndrome.

A GOLD Coast woman was told to have her family come see her for their “last opportunity” after she developed toxic shock syndrome following giving birth, according to court documents.

Tania Anne Brown, 33, is claiming almost $2 million from the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service alleging doctors and nurses failed to diagnose her infection on January 29, 2013 — four days after she gave birth.

She returned to the hospital the next day and was placed in intensive care.

The hospital denies the claims and said in court documents Ms Brown never complained of an number of symptoms until January 31, 2013.

Ms Brown’s lawyer Clare Eves, of Shine Lawyers, said medical staff “failed to appreciate” the severity of the situation.

“Medical opinion supports that had Tania’s condition been diagnosed earlier, intravenous antibiotics could have been administered preventing her from suffering life threatening illness,” Ms Eves said.

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“Tania is incredibly lucky to be here today. While in critical care her family and friends were told to come and see her as it may have been their last opportunity.”

Court documents lodged in the Supreme Court of Queensland at Brisbane claim the toxic shock left Ms Brown with an acquired brain injury, septic arthritis, memory loss, damage to joins and loss of sensation in various parts of her body.

“The toxic shock syndrome … resulted from the infection of the large raw area of the lining of the uterus from which the plaintiff’s placenta had separated and/or the second degree tear which the plaintiff suffered at child birth,” the documents said.

She claims the injuries left her needing unable to work, unable to do outdoor chores without pain and in need of help to care for her children.

Mr Brown gave birth to her fourth child, Peaches, on January 26, 2013 returned to hospital on January 29, 2013 after experiencing abdominal pain.

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She was sent home without seeing an gynaecologist on January 30, 2013 the documents claim.

When Ms Brown returned on January 31, 2013 she was diagnosed with toxic shock and placed in intensive care.

The court documents allege that if Ms Brown had been diagnosed when she went to hospital on January 29, she would not have suffered the permanent injuries.

In a defence file in count, the Gold Coast Hospital denies the claims, stating Ms Brown did not experience symptoms of toxic shock until January 31, 2013.

“The infection did not present until a time after the plaintiff was discharged from the ED on January 30, 2013 …” the documents said.

The hospital also disputes the severity Ms Brown’s injuries.

“Her (Ms Brown’s) injuries were not caused, as a matter of fact, by any breach of duty on the part of the defendant and it’s medical staff in their prospective treatment and management of her presenting symptoms on 29/30 January, 2013,” the documents said.