Woman caught bug 'elsewhere', inquest told
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A woman died at a Dublin hospital from a superbug she 'most likely' contracted at another hospital where she previously was a patient, an inquest has heard.
Bridget Frasier (82) of Lisle Road, Walkinstown, Dublin died at Tallaght hospital on February 13, 2007 after contracting the superbug Clostridium Difficile (C Diff), most likely when she was a patient at St James's hospital in January, Dublin County Coroner's Court heard.
The inquest into Mrs Frasier's death was just one of four inquests into deaths of patients who contracted hospital-acquired infections and subsequently died, the inquest heard at the Plaza hotel in Tallaght yesterday.
Mrs Frasier died from intra-abdominal sepsis due to a bowel perforation most likely caused by C Diff infection, the court heard.
Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty recorded a verdict of death by hospital-acquired infection.
Mrs Frasier's daughter Breda Hayes told the court that her mother had injured her foot around January 9 or 10 this year and was admitted to St James's hospital.
"She went downhill while she was there. They said it was a bug she had picked up -- an infection," she said.
Mrs Frasier was then transferred to Kiltipper Care Centre for two weeks, but when her condition deteriorated, she was admitted to Tallaght hospital on February 11 with acute abdominal pain and diarrhoea, a respiratory tract infection and renal failure.
Upon her admission via A&E, staff anticipated she had an infection and she was immediately treated with antibiotics and subsequently diagnosed with C Diff.
She became critically ill on February 13 and died that day.
Speaking outside the court, Mrs Hayes yesterday criticised the infection management policy at St James's hospital and said staff discharged her mother from the hospital before she was well enough to leave.
