A woman who suffers from an inflamed colon has sued for damages over the alleged failure of doctors at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Co Louth, to properly diagnose and manage her condition.
Michelle Myles (24), Chestnut Grove, Tallanstown, Co Louth, has brought an action against the HSE and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital alleging negligence and failure of duty arising from her treatment for a colon condition between September 1997 and August 8th, 2000.
Ms Myles claims she developed an inflamed colon during that period.
It is alleged the defendants did not refer her to an experienced specialist in the areas of inflammatory bowel diseases, that she was misdiagnosed with Crohn's disease, that the defendants failed to carry out any proper assessment of her and failed to admit her for intensive treatment before the perforation of her bowel in May 2000.
Ms Myles is further claiming that the defendants failed, despite clear symptoms of her condition, to carry out the necessary operation before the perforation of her bowel, which, it is alleged, caused her to suffer complications.
The defendants deny the claims.
Opening the case yesterday, Andrew Bradley SC, for Ms Myles, said she was diagnosed at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda in 1997 with having an inflamed colon and was prescribed a course of medication including steroids.
On May 8th, 2000, she had complained of being in pain.
When her mother contacted the hospital and told it that her daughter had a condition that affected her bowel and that she was in pain, she was told to give her two paracetamol and to attend a doctor the next day.