Girl, 5, had rare heart condition

Paige died from a rare condition known as myocarditis

A five-year-old girl died after suffering two cardiac arrests during an appendix operation, an inquest heard.

Paige Young, of Cramlington, Northumberland, had acute stomach pains when doctors at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary decided to operate.

Later tests revealed she died from a rare heart condition and the stomach pains had not been appendicitis but an inflammation of abdominal lymph nodes.

Coroner David Mitford recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.

The youngster was originally admitted to hospital on 21 December with a suspected stomach bug, the inquest at Newcastle Civic Centre was told.

I am not convinced that the operation altered whether the cardiac arrests occurred Dr Fraser Charlton, consultant pathologist

She was allowed to go home on Christmas Eve to be with her family but when her symptoms did not improve, she was re-admitted to hospital 24 hours later.

Her condition deteriorated and doctors diagnosed suspected appendicitis before carrying out surgery.

She was revived after going into cardiac arrest but suffered another fatal arrest a short time later.

A post-mortem examination found she died from a rare condition known as myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle.

Tests also revealed the likely cause of her stomach pains was a condition called mesenteric adenitis, which has symptoms similar to appendicitis.

Dr Fraser Charlton, a consultant pathologist, told the inquest: "I feel it is likely that the operation caused some additional stress on the heart which may have brought on the cardiac arrests.

"But taking into account the severity of the inflammation of the heart, the cardiac arrests could have happened at any time.

"I am not convinced that the operation altered whether the cardiac arrests occurred."