A hernia, undiagnosed by casualty doctors, caused a man’s death, an inquest heard yesterday.
But a coroner ruled out neglect as the cause of 65-year-old Christopher Thewlis’s death, praising medical staff’s ‘high’ standard of care.
Mr Thewlis, of Salendine Nook, died from complications caused by an intestinal hernia at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, on August 28, 2012.
Married Mr Thewlis had been admitted to the hospital three days earlier having vomited bits of dried blood.
Huddersfield Coroner’s Court heard Mr Thewlis’s condition had improved after his admission, his vomiting had stopped and he was eating and drinking normally.
But the vomiting resumed and he suffered a heart attack on August 28.
The court heard an intestinal hernia had burst through Mr Thewlis’s abdominal wall causing the hernia to be starved of oxygen.
Two accident and emergency department doctors had failed to spot the hernia or order an immediate intestinal examination.
But yesterday Coroner Dominic Bell said the hernia would have been very difficult to spot and he praised the hospital’s ‘high’ standard of care.
Had the hernia been spotted earlier it was unclear whether surgery would have saved Mr Thewlis, Dr Bell said.
Dr Bell added when the fatal injury had occurred and what had caused it would both remain unknown.
Recording a verdict of death by natural causes Dr Bell said: “There was therefore no lack in the basic provision of medical care. In fact, a medical review over the bank holiday weekend was a high standard of medical supervision.
“Although this is clearly, in hindsight, bound to raise consideration to the diagnosis and treatment of more significant pathologies it does not meet the criteria for a lost window of opportunity and there can be no consideration of neglect in this particular situation.”
Dr Bell accepted that the doctors and the hospital trust had learned a lesson from Mr Thewlis’s death which would influence future practice on patients with gastric complaints.
