AN ELDERLY woman who was admitted to a Dublin hospital with severe back pain was found to have acute liver failure two days later due to her use of paracetamol at home in an effort to relieve the pain, an inquest heard yesterday.
A verdict of death by misadventure was recorded on the woman from Harold’s Cross, Dublin.
She died at St James’s Hospital on March 2nd, 2008, of acute liver failure due to paracetamol toxicity, Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard.
The woman, who suffered from osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, as well as diverticulitis, called the emergency services on February 26th and was admitted to hospital that day. She reported a three-day history of severe back pain and was suffering from pneumonia.
She was found to have normal liver-function on admission. Two days later, however, her liver tests were grossly abnormal. She died in the intensive care unit two days later.
Paracetamol takes up to five days to affect the liver.