Inquest into Australian girl's death for swallowing lithium battery to start next week

An inquest will begin next week to examine whether an Australian hospital could have done more to prevent the death of a young girl who swallowed a lithium battery.

Summer Steer was four years old when she ingested a 2cm lithium button battery.

She was twice taken to Noosa Hospital in Queensland suffering symptoms including a sore stomach, temperature and black bowel movements, local media reported.

But she was sent home both times before she began vomiting blood at home.

The third time she was taken to the hospital doctors finally x- rayed her and spotted the battery.

But Summer died two hours later.

The inquest will examine why she was not x-rayed sooner, among other procedural issues. Endi