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31/10/2008
Patient's Death Provokes Review Call
Poor communications between general practitioners and hospitals may have contributed to the death of a patient.
As a result, there has been a call for a review of communications between GPs and specialist 'warfarin clinics' run by hospitals after an Inquest found that a 69-year-old woman died of a brain haemorrhage.
They said it was brought on by the interaction of the blood-thinning drug and antibiotics.
Breda Dunlea from Carrignavar, Co Cork, died at the Mercy University Hospital in Cork in December, 2006.
The probe into Mrs Dunlea's death at the Coroner's Court in Cork City was told this week that she had been on warfarin since 2003 to prevent blood clotting and reduce the risk of stroke.
In October and November 2006, Mrs Dunlea was prescribed three courses of antibiotics to treat a respiratory infection.
The inquest was told by one of the GPs who prescribed antibiotics for Mrs Dunlea that she would do so 'with caution' because of the effects that interaction between warfarin and antibiotics can have.
These effects can vary from patient to patient and evidence was given that Mrs Dunlea would have been advised to attend a warfarin clinic, which is held in hospitals to monitor the levels and effects of warfarin in the blood.
However, the Inquest also heard that results from these clinics were not communicated directly to patients' GPs.
The coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane, said this should be reviewed and she recorded a verdict of death by medical misadventure.
(BMcC)
As a result, there has been a call for a review of communications between GPs and specialist 'warfarin clinics' run by hospitals after an Inquest found that a 69-year-old woman died of a brain haemorrhage.
They said it was brought on by the interaction of the blood-thinning drug and antibiotics.
Breda Dunlea from Carrignavar, Co Cork, died at the Mercy University Hospital in Cork in December, 2006.
The probe into Mrs Dunlea's death at the Coroner's Court in Cork City was told this week that she had been on warfarin since 2003 to prevent blood clotting and reduce the risk of stroke.
In October and November 2006, Mrs Dunlea was prescribed three courses of antibiotics to treat a respiratory infection.
The inquest was told by one of the GPs who prescribed antibiotics for Mrs Dunlea that she would do so 'with caution' because of the effects that interaction between warfarin and antibiotics can have.
These effects can vary from patient to patient and evidence was given that Mrs Dunlea would have been advised to attend a warfarin clinic, which is held in hospitals to monitor the levels and effects of warfarin in the blood.
However, the Inquest also heard that results from these clinics were not communicated directly to patients' GPs.
The coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane, said this should be reviewed and she recorded a verdict of death by medical misadventure.
(BMcC)
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