KOTA KINABALU: The Queen Elizabeth Hospital activated a trauma alert upon the arrival of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir at its Emergency and Trauma Department in the early hours of July 16.
The third witness in the inquest today, Dr Janefer Voo, who was the first medical officer to attend to the 13-year-old after she arrived in an ambulance, said her initial assessment was based on a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3.
Testifying before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, Dr Voo explained that a score of 3, the lowest possible, indicated unresponsiveness, with no spontaneous eye-opening, verbal response, or motor movement.
“When a trauma alert is activated, (other discipline experts) from orthopaedics, surgery, anaesthesiology and neurology are alerted for immediate reference in trauma cases.
“This trauma alert is not only applied at the QEH but also at other major hospitals with trauma centres,” she said, adding there were also other staff in the trauma team, including her superior emergency physician Dr Rahim.
Following the initial assessment, the 32-year-old doctor said the team intubated Zara, secured a cervical collar, administered fluids and blood therapy, and sutured wounds as part of the resuscitation process.
She also said medications were administered for intubation, infection prevention, bleeding control, and blood pressure stabilisation.
A musculoskeletal specialist later performed a closed manipulative reduction and applied backslab plasters to Zara’s injured limbs.
Dr Voo told the court that blood test results pointed to signs of trauma.
“Based on the laboratory test, the result showed abnormality with high white blood cells (count) while potassium was in the normal range.
“This is due to the physiological (response of the body), which was caused by stress from trauma.
“The acid (level) in the body was also high because of injured tissues caused by trauma.”
She also confirmed that diagnostic imaging was conducted, and Zara was transferred to the neurology ward at 6.40pm on the same day.
Earlier, when reading her witness statement, Dr Voo said the patient was suspected to have sustained a severe traumatic brain injury, injuries to the back of the head, fractures on both ankles and the left wrist, and was suspected of having internal bleeding.
“Due to her very low blood pressure, we suspected internal injuries caused by high-impact trauma to the body.
“There were no signs of bruising or any indication of abuse on the patient’s body,” she told the court.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
