A NURSE has told an inquest into the death of a woman following an elective hysterectomy at a private Dublin hospital that the woman was “very sick” when she was transferred to the facility’s high dependency unit and the nurse “knew” something serious was wrong.
Linda Royal (50), Forest Green, Kingswood Heights, Tallaght, was transferred to the high dependency unit (HDU) at Mount Carmel Hospital on the morning of September 28th, 2008, six days after a procedure to remove her womb at the hospital.
The mother of three was transferred to St James’s Hospital later that day, where she died from the complications of septicaemia the following day.
Staff nurse Marie Madigan, who was looking after Ms Royal on the night of September 27th into the morning of September 28th, told an inquest that on transfer to the HDU she thought Ms Royal was going “into shock”.
Her abdomen was distended, her pulse was raised and she had tenderness throughout the abdomen, the inquest heard.
Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard that Nurse Madigan telephoned consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Mona Joyce at 4.45am on September 28th as she was “very worried” about Ms Royal, who was “very distressed.”
The patient’s pulse was high, her blood pressure was abnormal and the nurse was worried there was an obstruction.
The mother of three had not managed to go to the toilet despite having received two laxatives earlier on September 27th, one of which she described as “potent”.
The nurse discussed her concerns with Dr Joyce and suggested Ms Royal, who was examined by Dr Azizah Osman, be transferred to the HDU, to which the consultant agreed.
The inquest heard that Nurse Madigan had also called Dr Osman to examine Ms Royal earlier that night as her cramps, for which she received medication, were getting worse, her vital signs were “worrying” and she appeared “quite distressed”. At that point the doctor said she just needed to go to evacuate her bowels.
Nurse Madigan described Ms Royal’s decline as “sudden at the end”. She said her symptoms were being “dealt with” and she was being reviewed by her surgeon and other doctors.
Solicitor for the family Damien Tansey said Louis Royal had given evidence on an earlier occasion that his wife was in constant pain all of the week.
The inquest heard Ms Royal had complained of pain when urinating on the third post-operative night and had vomited.
The next night she was still complaining of feeling sick but her antibiotic had been changed and she later said she felt much improved.
Nurse Marie McCluskey, who also gave evidence at the inquest, said Ms Royal approached her on the corridor on September 27th, five days after the procedure, and reported abdominal discomfort.
Ms Royal was being administered medication for pain relief throughout her time in hospital.
Mr Tansey said a major concern for the family was that Ms Royal was being treated for constipation.
“That five days post-operatively, given the history of discomfort and pain and the extent to which she was receiving pain mediation, the only diagnosis was constipation.”
The inquest continues today.