THE family of a pregnant woman who died of a rare condition after collapsing at work is to seek a judicial review of an inquest which was held into her death in Sligo yesterday.
Mrs Caroline Leyden (29), from Cloghboley, Ballinful, Sligo, died at Sligo General Hospital on January 30th, 1996, less than an hour after being admitted following her collapse at a local factory where she worked as a quality controller.
A jury returned a verdict in accordance with medical evidence that she had died from a spontaneous rupture of a major blood vessel.
She had been eight months pregnant and her baby was stillborn.
Afterwards, the family's solicitor, Mr Damien Tansey, said the woman's husband and her extended family were deeply unhappy at the failure of the inquest to answer many of the questions which had "plagued them" since her tragic death. He said they were now examining all the options open to them including a judicial review of the inquest itself.
During the hearing there were many angry exchanges between Mr Tansey and the Coroner, Dr Desmond Moran, who refused the solicitor's application to address the jury at the conclusion of evidence from 11 witnesses.
Dr Moran said he resented Mr Tansey's insinuation in his questioning of witnesses that there had been anything improper in the treatment of Mrs Leyden after her admission to hospital. He said the medical and ambulance staff had done all they could to try to save her life.
The inquest heard that Mrs Leyden's pregnancy had been normal and that she was in excellent form when she left home for work on the morning of her death.
A statement from a work colleague, Ms Mary Kennedy, described how Mrs Leyden had suddenly collapsed in the reception area of the factory where she worked in Sligo's Industrial Estate.
She was rushed to the local hospital where she died 55 minutes after being admitted to the casualty department. The inquest was told of the efforts of a team of medical experts to resuscitate her.
Pathologist Dr Nessa O'Donnell who carried out a post mortem examination said in her opinion death was due to an exceedingly rare condition caused by a spontaneous rupture of a major blood vessel.
She agreed that her discovery of a small tear in a vein was fortuitous.
Consultant obstetrician gynaecologist Dr Carthage Carroll told the inquest the condition from which Mrs Leyden died was extremely rare. There were less than 30 similar cases reported in the world and he had never before seen such a case.