Man died of adverse reaction to infection medicine, inquest hears

Louise Roseingrave

A man died of multi organ failure due to an adverse reaction to medication prescribed for a bone infection in his toe, an inquest heard.

John Lynam (75) from Moyville, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16 died at Tallaght Hospital on January 7th, 2015.

Dublin Coroner’s Court heard his reaction to the anti-bacterial medication Flucloxacillin was an extremely rare occurrence affecting only eight in 100,000 people.

Mr Lynam, a diabetic, was receiving treatment for an ulcer on his right middle toe. He initially visited his GP with the problem in July 2014 and was later referred to the outpatients department at Tallaght hospital where the drug was prescribed.

Consultant vascular surgeon Professor Sean Tierney said the decision was taken to prescribe Flucloxacillin in order to offset the risk of amputation.

Prof Tierney said there was nerve damage due to the long standing effects of diabetes. The ulcer was not healing and doctors agreed that strong antibiotic medication was the best treatment to heal the ulcer and any infection in the bone, which could spread, with the risk of the loss of the toe, the foot or the development of life threatening sepsis.

Mr Lynam was given a six week course of the antibiotic drug but developed jaundice after completing the course and was admitted to Tallaght hospital on November 26th, 2014.

In hospital, he developed a number of complications including shingles and underwent a number of surgical treatment to remove stones in his bile duct, the court heard. His condition deteriorated with increasing liver disfunction and renal disfunction and he was transferred to the intensive care unit.

Mr Lynam died on January 7th, 2015. The cause of death was multi organ failure. He suffered liver failure due to a reaction to Flucloxacillin and stones in his bile duct, on a background of scarring of the liver of unknown origin.

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane returned a verdict of adverse drug reaction and extended her sympathies to the man's wife and children.

“It is rare in that it occurs in only eight in 100,000 subscriptions and even in those, most of them get better,” she said.