A Dublin woman had about 100 teaspoon handles, as well as needles, comb fragments, crayons and other objects in her stomach at the time of her death, Dublin City Coroner's Court heard yesterday. Ms Jacqueline Darcy (42), Kenmare House, North Great George's Street, Dublin, suffered from a compulsive swallowing problem and was a patient at St Brendan's Hospital, Grangegorman, from 1974 until she died at the Mater Hospital on 5th March last.
A post-mortem report showed that she died of a heart attack in the presence of peritonitis due to perforations of the bowel. The pathologist, Dr James Kirrane, said he found several perforations and ulcers of the stomach and colon and a large number of artefacts in the stomach. He said the peritonitis stemmed from the perforations of the stomach and not from an operation wound or a colostomy bag which was fitted.
Ms Darcy had been operated on in the Mater Hospital for a perforation of the rectum on 12th February and had returned for follow-up care at the time of her death, as her operation wound had become infected.. Mr Gerry Darcy said his sister suffered from epilepsy from a very young age and was first admitted to hospital in her early teens after she began to swallow objects and became too much for his mother to control.
Ms Anne O'Connell, deputy chief nursing officer at St Brendan's Hospital, said Ms Darcy regularly swallowed objects such as batteries, watches, biros, spoons and crochet needles. She had been referred to other hospitals several times as a result of this problem. In January she told staff she had swallowed part of a spoon and on 27th February she said she had swallowed part of a wooden comb.
Dr Pauline Twomey, a consultant psychiatrist at St Brendan's, said Ms Darcy's hospital records showed she was a patient there since 1974. She was diagnosed with epilepsy at 13 months of age, had a mild learning disability and behavioural problems. She was on medication to control her problems, fitted in well with the hospital routine and was writing her life story as part of her occupational therapy.
Mr Sean O'Neill, a clinical/research registrar at the hospital at the time of Ms Darcy's death, said she was receiving 24-hour one-to-one care but collapsed in the bathroom and died despite attempts at resuscitation early on 5th March.
Dr Paul Balfe said he had spoken to Ms Darcy and her mother on the day before her death and she seemed in very good form. The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.