Portsmouth dad-of-two in coma with meningitis after spending week with suspected ear infection

Reece Ciani, 25, made three visits to his GP and three separate 999 calls over a seven-day period as his condition got worse.

It was only on the final 999 call he was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital and treated for meningitis on October 27 – a week after his first GP visit.

Dad-of-two Reece was prescribed a nasal spray for a suspected mild ear infection on October 20 by a GP.

A day later, on October 21, his condition deteriorated to the point he was suffering extreme pain in his head, bleeding from his right ear, and he was struggling to hold down food.

Reece called 999 and paramedics who attended his home in Somers Town, Southsea, advised him to attend the GP again.

He did, and was prescribed a course of antibiotics for a suspected infected and burst ear drum.

Five days later, on October 26, Reece was struggling to walk and returned to the surgery, which The News is not naming, where he was prescribed a different set of antibiotics.

But later that day the pain became so severe he believed he was dying and called 999 – with dispatched paramedics believing he was suffering from an intense migraine, his mother said.

Then at 12.30am the next day, his partner made a final desperate 999 call.

Medics took him to QA in Cosham, where he was put in an induced coma and placed on life support while doctors battled to save his life.

Reece is now awake and on the road to recovery – but is still struggling to walk and feels let down by the healthcare service.

It comes as charity Meningitis Now told The News a late or missed diagnosis for the infection was a ‘recurring theme’ in Britain.

Reece said: ‘I feel terrible. It hurts to open my eyes and I can’t walk.

‘I feel ignored – the doctors let me down, they should have seen the signs earlier.

‘But I’m thankful to be alive – the hospital staff have been brilliant.’

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Mum April Lawley received a panicked phone call from her son the day before he was taken to hospital.

The 48-year-old said: ‘We have pictures of Reece on his hands and knees in the doctor’s surgery – he was in that much pain.

‘He was in so much pain he was batting his head off the walls at home.

‘He called me up and said, “mum, I feel like I’m going to die”.’

His sister, Clare Hemly, said her brother’s pain was so great he collapsed in the drive outside the surgery on Wednesday, October 21.

She said: ‘Someone from the office came out and asked if we needed help, but I said I could manage.

‘I thought the next time he went in they would be more alarmed.

‘But they just put it down to earache or headache.

‘He’s lucky to be alive.’

The surgery said it could not comment due to patient confidentiality, but a spokeswoman said meningitis symptoms can often be mistaken for other illnesses.

She added: ‘Meningitis symptoms can include a high temperature, being sick, a headache, a stiff neck, a dislike of bright lights, drowsiness or, perhaps the most recognised one, a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it.

‘It’s important to be aware that a rash won’t always develop.

‘Regardless of whether you display these symptoms, if you’re seriously unwell you should call 999 or go to A&E.’

Meningitis cases being missed is a common problem across the country, according to Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive at national charity Meningitis Now.

He said: ‘A late or missed diagnosis is sadly a recurring theme.

‘As a charity with over 30 years’ experience in fighting meningitis, we would encourage people to trust their instincts when they feel unwell and believe that most people will know when something doesn’t feel right or different from illnesses they’ve previously had.’

South Central Ambulance Service said Reece could contact the patient experience team to raise their concerns.

An ambulance spokesman said: ‘Paramedics do not diagnose illnesses, such as meningitis – this is done by GPs or hospital doctors.

‘The clinical role of a paramedic is to use nationally-set guidelines to a patient’s symptoms that would determine whether or not they need to be taken to a hospital or other clinical setting for further assessment to confirm a diagnosis.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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