A widow has told an inquest that her 34-year-old husband went to hospital with agonising chest pain, spent hours sitting on a chair waiting for treatment and died of a ruptured aorta following a delayed diagnosis because of a broken CT scanner.
Cork University Hospital (CUH) has apologised “unreservedly and sincerely” for “failings in care” during the admission of father of one Patrick (Pat) Murphy on September 1st, 2021. It has also apologised for the failure by medics to diagnose an aortic dissection.
Pat had waited nine hours before he received a bed. As some hospital notes went missing his family fear that he received very little in the way of appropriate care before his condition became life threatening.
Mr Murphy, who was a chemical engineer and the father of a toddler, had to take a taxi from his home in Riverstown, Glanmire, Co Cork as the ambulance service informed his wife Keerti Krishnan Murphy they were delayed.
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Ms Krishnan Murphy said Mr Murphy “told me about the agony he was in”.
“It had been nine hours from his arrival until he was given a bed. I got texts and calls that day with updates - urine tests and a (CT) scan to determine kidney stones. The scan had to be pushed out to the following day, as the one in A&E was broken,” Ms Krishnan Murphy said.
The inquest heard that one of the two CT scanners at the hospital was broken on the night of the incident.
Ms Krishnan Murphy said that on on the evening of September 2nd, 2021 an urgent CT scan was arranged at CUH which confirmed a Type A dissecting aortic aneurysm that had ruptured. She said that the emergency surgery was unsuccessful and Pat died the following day.
Ms Krishnan Murphy said she was left haunted and scarred by what the hospital told her at meetings following the death of her husband.
“We were told of nine hours waiting, not having timely access to functioning scans that could have rerouted the misdiagnosis [of kidney stones], and missing pages of observation. The hospital said that they could not guarantee that the same thing would not happen again.
“I have heard through the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust that with proper intervention and well documented symptoms, many lives could be saved.”
Ms Krishnan Murphy said that her “caring partner” who was a “doting father” could have been saved with “timely interventions”.
“No one should experience the traumatic course of events. My grief is still bitter, wondering how different things might have been.”
The widow and extended family of the deceased received an apology from CUH for failings in care.
In a statement management at CUH said that a review of the care of Mr Murphy highlighted that a “number of elements” were not delivered as “promptly as they should have been.”
The hospital apologised for these “deficiencies.”
“We do not underestimate the devastating impact of the passing of Patrick on you and your family and on behalf of Cork University Hospital, we are truly sorry for what has happened.
“We can assure you that lessons have been identified and shared across CUH to ensure that our clinical training processes are strengthened to avoid such a tragic outcome for others others in future.”
Consultant neuro radiologist at CUH Dr Gerald Wyse said that one of the two CT scanners at CUH wasn’t functioning for a period of 21 hours when Mr Murphy was in hospital.
Dr Wyse said that even if Pat had gone for the CT KUB scan in the first instance it wouldn’t have shown the aortic dissection.
He said that both of the CT scanners that were in place at CUH in 2021 have been replaced. Dr Wyse said that a third CT scanner has also been purchased. He indicated that if they were given six CT scanners they “would take them”.
Dr John O’Mahony, SC, representing the family, said that when Mr Murphy presented at the hospital he was triaged as category 3, which meant that he should have been seen within an hour.
He said that “despite intense crippling pain, several hours passed” and Mr Murphy wasn’t medically examined. Dr O’Mahony added that “valuable time” was lost in which the life of Mr Murphy could have been saved.
The inquest heard that Mr Murphy had completed several marathons and was without a history of illness. The inquest continues on Thursday.
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