Dublin Man Dies Of Overdose While Awaiting Kidney

A Dublin man who was awaiting a vital transplant has died after taking cocaine, it has been revealed.

Rudie Sloan, 21, from Raheny in the Capital, was found dead by his mother last year.

A toxicology screen conducted on the Dubliner, who was on dialysis three times a week, found he had cocaine in his system.

The young man's mother, Monica Sloan, told the inquest she never expected to hear about cocaine being involved in her son's death.

Mr Sloan suffered kidney failure at a young age and his condition led to an enlargement of his heart due to high blood pressure, the post-mortem found.

His heart condition would most likely have made him more vulnerable to the effects of cocaine, which speeds the heart rate.

Mr Sloan had been out with friends on the night of February 2 last year and called to visit his sister Amanda at 12.30am. She drove him home at 2am and he spoke to his other sister around 3am. His mother found him some 12 hours later.

Mrs Sloan said her son was making his way up the transplant list and his doctor had told him that due to a new drug there was a 70pc chance of the transplant being successful.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell recorded a narrative verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, concluding Rudie's death was due to an acute cardiac event due to an enlarged heart most likely due to high blood pressure, with cocaine and lignocaine toxicity.

(DW/JM)