Brain-damaged woman settles hospital care case
Dick Doyle: Avril's husband at court yesterday
A HIGH Court case in which it was alleged a woman -- just returned from her honeymoon -- was left brain damaged following hospital treatment has been settled.
Avril Doyle (46), from Loughlinstown, Dublin, had been "bubbly and vivacious" but was now in need of almost round-the-clock care, the court heard.
Suing through husband Dick Doyle -- the chief executive of the Phonographic Performance Ireland and director general of the Irish Music Rights Organisation -- she sought damages for negligence and breach of duty against the HSE and against consultant surgeon Joseph Duignan, who practices at St Michael's Hospital, Dun Laoghaire. Liability was not admitted except in relation to the failure to provide a nutritionist at the hospital, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill was told last Friday.
Yesterday, the judge was told it had been settled and no details were revealed.
The court heard previously that Mrs Doyle became ill while on honeymoon in the Dominican Republic in June 2005. She was referred on July 18 to St Michael's where she underwent a laporotomy to treat multiple abdominal adhesions.
She was discharged 10 days later but was re-admitted on August 2 and required emergency intravenous feeding, called total parenternal nutrition (TPN).
It was alleged that as a result of the alleged failure to administer the vitamin Thiamine as part of this TPN she was left brain damaged with a condition known as Wenicke Korsakoff psychosis.
- Tim Healy
Irish Independent
