A woman left bereft by the death of her husband has shared her distressing account at an inquiry, describing how her 34-year-old husband succumbed to a burst aorta following a delay in diagnosis due to a malfunctioning CT scanner, after an excruciating wait in hospital due to chest pains. Cork University Hospital (CUH) offered their sincere and wholehearted apologies for the shortcomings in care during the stay of Pat Murphy, a father of one, who was admitted on September 1st, 2021. The hospital also expressed regret for the medical staff’s failure to correctly identify an aortic dissection.
Pat waited for a staggering nine hours before he was allocated a bed. His family harbours grave concerns regarding the level and adequacy of care he was afforded before his situation became critically dangerous, as some of his medical records have disappeared.
Mr Murphy, a toddler’s father and practitioner of chemical engineering, was compelled to hail a cab from his Riverstown, Glanmire, Co Cork residence due to a delay in ambulance services, as informed to his wife, Keerti Krishnan Murphy.
Ms Krishnan Murphy recounted her husband’s description of the severe pain he was enduring. “He had been in the hospital for nine hours before he was finally given a bed. I received updates throughout the day via texts and calls – they conducted urine tests and a CT scan to check for kidney stones. The scan had to be postponed until the following day because the CT machine in A&E was malfunctioning,” she reported.
The inquiry ascertained that one out of the two CT scanners in the hospital was not functioning on the night of the incident. Ms Krishnan Murphy related that on the evening of September 2, 2021, an emergency CT scan was organised at CUH which identified a Type A dissecting aortic aneurysm that had burst. The emergency operation carried out was unfortunately unsuccessful, and Pat passed away the following day.
Ms Krishnan Murphy voiced her devastation and emotional scarring from the discussions she had with the hospital after her husband’s tragic demise.
We were informed about a nine-hour delay and misdiagnosis due to unavailable functioning scans, as well as pages of notes missing from observation. The hospital indicated no certainty that this wouldn’t reoccur. I learnt from the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust that appropriate medical attention and thorough recording of symptoms could potentially save a multitude of lives. Ms Krishnan Murphy expressed that her affectionate partner and devoted father could have been spared with timely medical action.
Nobody should have to go through such distressing circumstances. I find myself still grappling with my grief, contemplating how differently things might have turned out.
The hospital extended an apology to the deceased’s widow and family for care deficiencies. The hospital admitted in a statement a review of Mr Murphy’s care found several elements hadn’t been delivered promptly. They sincerely apologised for these shortcomings.
The hospital acknowledges the heartbreaking effects of Patrick’s untimely demise on his loved ones, and expressed deepest apologies. Assurance was given that identified lessons have been disseminated throughout the hospital, fortifying their clinical training procedures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
CUH’s Consultant Neuro Radiologist, Dr Gerald Wyse, reported one of the two CT scanners was non-functional for 21 hours during Mr Murphy’s hospitalisation. He added that a CT KUB scan wouldn’t have detected the aortic dissection, even if it had been conducted initially. Both CT scanners in place in 2021 have since been replaced and a third added. He would welcome more if available.
In representing the family, Dr John O’Mahony, SC, highlighted that Mr Murphy was classified as category 3 upon arrival at the hospital, indicating he should have received care within an hour. Alas, despite excruciating pain, several hours elapsed before he was medically examined. Dr O’Mahony stressed these missed hours as critical to saving Mr Murphy’s life.
The inquiry was informed that Mr Murphy had successfully finished numerous marathons and had no known medical history. The inquiry is set to proceed on Thursday.