A TEENAGER who died after suffering a severe allergic reaction at a friend's birthday party had tried desperately to give herself a potentially life-saving injection, a court heard today.
Jane McVeigh (17), from Belfast, went into deep anaphylactic shock after eating a piece of satay chicken made with peanuts at an 18th birthday party in Rostrevor, Co Down.
The popular A-level student, who had been diagnosed with a nut allergy at the age of three, failed to properly administer an adrenaline shot despite several frantic efforts to jab it into her thigh as she slipped into unconsciousness, an inquest hearing in Belfast was told.
Speculation following her death in December 2006 that the needle had been faulty was yesterday countered by evidence presented to the court.
Robert Sergeant, from the Northern Ireland Adverse Incident Centre, who, along with other experts, examined the Epipen device, said there was no indication the mechanism had malfunctioned and suggested a mix of panic and loss of bearings may have affected the teenager's ability to use it correctly.
"She may not have been familiar with mechanics of direct usage or her level of coherence was reduced to such a degree that she was not aware of her actions," he said.
Pathologist Dr James Lucas said subsequent attempts by friends to reinsert the needle, which had become bent due to the force of Ms McVeigh's efforts to jab it into her leg, would have been to no avail.
"Reinsertion of the Epipen at this stage would have been futile as the Epipen is designed to deliver adrenaline only once." Jane's father, John, told coroner Suzanne Anderson that although his daughter had never used the injection on herself before the incident, she knew how to operate it.
"We'd been given instructions by the local GP on how to operate the Epipen," he said. We were aware of how to use it and so was Jane."
The teenager, who lived in the Malone area of Belfast and attended nearby Victoria College, had travelled to Rostrevor for the 18th birthday party of her friend, Sheena Best. The friends spent about three hours at the Best house before heading to a bar in Warrenpoint.
Jane fell ill upon returning to the home at the end of the night where she ate a piece of satay chicken from a selection of party foods prepared by outside caterers.
Her cousin, Garrett O'Hare, who was also at the party, said Jane knew something was seriously wrong because she told him to ring an ambulance.
"She said she had problems breathing and then she collapsed," he said. The teenager briefly regained consciousness and told friends to get her Epipen, which was in her bag upstairs.
"Jane took the needle and tried to put it into her leg, but it bent," Mr O'Hare continued. - (PA)