A YOUNG PhD student died hours after a test for epilepsy at the Blackrock Clinic, Dublin.
Fiona O’Reilly (23), Pine Court, Blackrock, died at her home on September 7th, 2010, having suffered a seizure while resting after undergoing a sleep-deprived electro-encephalography (EEG) test at the private hospital that morning.
Dublin Coroner’s Court heard yesterday Ms O’Reilly first experienced seizures at age 10, but tests proved inconclusive.
At her last consultation in Tallaght Hospital in 2008, she was told she had “imagined” some of her symptoms and was suffering from panic attacks rather than epilepsy.
In the year before her death, she started having seizures in her sleep. Her GP referred her privately to Prof Niall Tubridy, who told the court he decided to start afresh, ordering a number of tests including the sleep-deprived EEG at Blackrock Clinic.
The aim was to uncover abnormalities in brain activity rather than induce a seizure, he said, but patients were at a higher risk of seizure immediately following the procedure.
Consultant neurophysiologist at Blackrock Clinic Dr Seán Connolly said that at the time of Ms O’Reilly’s test, patients undergoing a sleep-deprived EEG were only advised not to drive home.
They were not told of any increased risk of seizure, he said.
He had never heard of a sudden unexpected death in epilepsy soon after the procedure. Patients now get an information sheet on increased risk of seizure.
Ms O’Reilly did not sleep for 24 hours before the test. The EEG showed activity consistent with epilepsy but was largely uneventful. She went home to bed. Her mother tried to rouse her later but she was unresponsive. The postmortem found she died of positional asphyxia due to probable seizure consistent with sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell returned a narrative verdict. He will write to Blackrock Clinic recommending a review of the post-procedure advice given to patients and to the Royal College of Physicians recommending guidelines.