A WOMAN developed septicaemia and died three days after a minor surgical procedure at a private Dublin hospital, an inquest heard yesterday.
Twenty-two members of Mary Walsh’s family and friends were at the inquest, including her partner Francis Flood. The family’s solicitor, Damien Tansey, said: “It’s a matter of great regret to the family that they’ve lost a sister, but they are satisfied this process had vindicated their stand.”
Ms Walsh (56), of Carrigwood, Firhouse, Dublin, underwent a surgical procedure on her bladder to correct a problem with frequent passing of urine, at Mount Carmel hospital on the morning of December 5th, 2008, which was uneventful.
The otherwise healthy woman was readmitted to the hospital at 10.00pm due to severe pain. She was transferred to Tallaght hospital 24 hours later, where she suffered a cardiac arrest and died on December 8th.
Consultant Thomas McDermott, who had carried out the procedure, came to Mount Carmel hospital at 2.30am on December 6th to see Ms Walsh due to the pain and prescribed morphine and antibiotics, an inquest at Dublin County Coroner’s Court heard yesterday.
He reviewed Ms Walsh at 8.30am and found she was much better. An hour later, however, nurse Deirdre Moran discovered Ms Walsh curled up in a semi-foetal position in bed when she went to take a blood sample.
She was pale, very cold and clammy, with a weak pulse, and was difficult to rouse, Ms Moran had told the inquest at a previous hearing in May. Ms Walsh was transferred to the high dependency unit at 9.45am, but was not seen by a doctor until 2pm. She was again reviewed by Dr Tom Farrell at 7.30pm, who made telephone contact with Dr McDermott (who was out of the country for 12 hours), and a decision was made to transfer Ms Walsh to Tallaght hospital, where there is an intensive care unit. The transfer was carried out at 10pm. When she arrived she was critically ill.
“She was profoundly septic,” said Robert Flynn, who attended to Ms Walsh there. A CT scan showed signs of a ruptured bladder. She underwent two surgical procedures and was transferred to the ICU. However, she suffered a cardiac arrest and died on December 8th.
A postmortem found she died of multi-organ failure secondary to septicaemia, secondary to a bladder perforation.
Mr Flynn told the court he suspected the bladder tore when it was being stretched. Mr McDermott told the court that while at Mount Carmel, Ms Walsh was treated for the possibility of a perforation with a catheter, antibiotics, pain medication and fluids. Bladder perforation is a very common problem, he said.
“In the vast majority of cases . . . conservative management is the order of the day,” he said. “It’s a minor procedure. You’re not expecting any major complications. I thought the problems she was having were under the bounds of control . . . and if there was a deterioration, we would transfer her. I felt her parameters would recover given the situation.”
Asked by coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty whether her life could have been saved if she had been brought to Tallaght earlier, Mr McDermott said he did not know. The coroner recorded a verdict of death by medical misadventure.
Speaking after the inquest, the late woman’s sister, Carmel Walsh, said the family felt they had got the truth. “We’ve still lost our sister. It won’t bring her back. She should have been saved,” said Ms Walsh, who described her sister as a very popular, strong and caring person. “She looked after her health so well, that’s the irony,” said another sister, Una.