Haunting last words of mum, 49, as she lay dying from internal bleeding after docs missed ‘critical’ blood tests

A MUM warned her husband she was “not going to make it” the day before she died from internal bleeding in her hospital bed, a court heard.

Eilis Cronin Walsh, 49, passed away on October 17, 2021, at St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin eight days after she had an operation for the removal of her pancreas, gall bladder and spleen.

Unbeknown to doctors at the time, the mum-of-four from County Mayo in Ireland, was suffering from an infection linked to the operation, which led to her losing more than a litre of blood internally.

During a hospital visit on October 16, Eilis warned her husband James Walsh that she was “not going to make it”, according to the Irish Times.

James told District Coroner’s Court that his wife appeared to be very weak, but still reassured her she would be getting stronger every day.

“She said, no, her body was telling her, ‘I’m dying’.” That was “the last thing I heard from her,” he said.

The inquest heard that, on the day she died, “obviously abnormal” blood test results were not promptly relayed to the medical team caring for the mum.

After two unanswered calls from the hospital lab to her ward, no further attempts were made to contact the team.

The inquest revealed that the ward was only a five-minute walk from the lab.

Surgeon Donal Maguire, who works at St Vincent’s, said the results suggested Eilis had developed an internal bleed.

He said that if the medical team had been notified it would have triggered an intervention.

The inquest also heard that failing to relay the abnormal results to the medical team breached protocol at the time, leading to a review and the implementation of new measures.

The test results were ready shortly after noon on October 17 but weren’t noticed by the medical team until seven hours later, when a nurse checked the hospital system.

Immediate measures were taken to treat Eilis, but she was tragically pronounced dead shortly after 9pm on October 17.

Mr Maguire said the blood results suggested Eilis had likely suffered a minor internal bleed overnight on October 16.

But she said there were no blood pressure, pulse or other changes that would have otherwise triggered cause for concern.

Then, on October 17, she collapsed when there must have been a “massive bleed” after an artery ruptured.

It was not “a foreseeable deterioration” before that, he said.

The rupture could have been triggered by several factors, including an abdominal infection or leakage of pancreatic enzymes.

Asked by barrister Joe Brolly, for the family, if, by the time he was contacted on the Sunday, it was “too late”, Mr Maguire said, “correct”.

I hope no other family has to go through this. Eilis was a wonderful mum and a great human being

Kevin Walsh

Dr Susan Aherne, a pathologist who carried out a postmortem on the deceased told the court the mum died from hypovolemic shock due to acute intra-abdominal bleeding.

Hypovolemic shock is a medical emergency that occurs when the body has lost so much blood or fluid that it cannot supply enough to all of its organs.

She estimated Eilis had lost around 1.5 litres of blood and that the bleeding was linked to an infection following her previous operation, breakingnews.ie reports.

‘Medical misadventure’

The corner, Aisling Gannon, determined medical misadventure as the cause of death, which is an adverse reaction occurring as an unintended result of surgery or other medical treatment. 

Barrister Caoimhe Daly, for the hospital, said it wanted to express its sincere apology for the failure in care that occurred in the wake of Ms Cronin Walsh’s surgery and acknowledge the distress of the family.

She explained to Coroner Aisling that the legal term “medical misadventure” does not imply blame but is used for an unintended outcome of an intended medical act.

In her finding of medical misadventure, Coroner Aisling stated that the intended act in this case was the surgery.

Speaking outside the court, Eili’s son Kevin Walsh said: “I hope no other family has to go through this.

“Eilis was a wonderful mum and a great human being. It is sad to see such a lovely person die so young.”