Mum, 34, who ‘tried to get dentist appointment for weeks’ had common test – 90 minutes later she was dead
A MUM died from a rare allergic reaction after she was rushed to hospital with toothache – following weeks of trying get a dental appointment.
Leigh Rodgers, a 34-year-old kitchen designer at B&Q, had been suffering from painful toothache for around two weeks, with the pain spreading to her neck and chest.
The mum struggled to get an NHS dentist appointment for weeks on end and was rushed to hospital on March 7, 2024.
There, she was assessed for a tooth abscess, and given a CT scan to rule out Ludwig’s angina – a rare but life-threatening bacterial infection which can be caused by a tooth infection, on March 7, 2024.
But Leigh suffered a rare allergic reaction to the contrast medium dye she was injected with for the scan at University Hospital of North Durham, and she died 90 minutes later.
No evidence of Ludwig’s angina showed up on the CT scan results, an inquest heard on February 19, 2025.
Her grieving mum Pam Rodgers, 56, feels if she had been given a dental appointment earlier she wouldn’t have died, as a scan to rule out the infection would not have been required.
Leigh – mum to a nine-year-old girl – lived in Stanhope, Co. Durham, and was unable to get an NHS appointment because of waiting times and backlogs, her family say.
The inquest heard from her partner, Darren, who said she had “tried to get a dentist appointment but couldn’t for weeks”.
Pam, a management consultant from West Auckland, also claims the risks of a CT scan were not explained to her daughter and there was no informed consent.
“Every time I close my eyes I imagine my daughter in the coffin,” she said.
“If she could’ve gotten a dental appointment, she wouldn’t be dead, and if she could’ve gotten urgent care she wouldn’t have been dead.”
The inquest at Crook Coroners’ Court heard Leigh called an ambulance after she couldn’t get a dentist appointment.
She was given iodine-based contrast media, a special dye which makes parts of the body more visible on scans, and went into anaphylactic shock, a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can develop rapidly.
Despite attempts to resuscitate her, she died.
Senior assistant coroner Crispin Oliver concluded that Leigh’s cause of death was a fatal allergic reaction to the contrast media administered for a CT scan, after attending the Emergency Department at University Hospital of North Durham with symptoms of tooth abscess and potential Ludwig’s Angina.
According to the NHS, there are risks to CT scans.
The website says: “Complications of a CT scan are rare. Some people can have an allergic reaction to the contrast medium dye. This can cause weakness, sweating and difficulty breathing.
“You’ll be asked to wait at the hospital for up to 30 minutes after having the scan before you can go home if you had contrast medium.”
Pam thinks the risks weren’t properly explained to her daughter.
Allergic reactions to contrast medium
The ‘dye’ used for CT scans and x-rays contains iodine which can cause a mild allergic reaction during the injection such as itching, wheezing or nausea.
These reactions rarely occur, but when they do, they normally pass very quickly – usually within five to 10 minutes of the injection.
Any reaction to the dye is normally immediate, but occasionally a red, itchy rash can develop on the body some hours after the scan.
This is very rare, but if it does happen, you should contact your GP or local A&E department.
Other rare but possible delayed reactions include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation, abdominal pain, pain in the injected arm, rash, dizziness and headache.
These signs and symptoms almost always disappear within a few hours and usually little or no treatment is required.
Before getting a CT scan, tell the hospital if you:
- Are pregnant or might be pregnant
- Are breastfeeding
- Take any medicines
- Have asthma
- Have kidney or thyroid problems
- Have diabetes
- Have any allergies or have had an allergic reaction to a dye called contrast medium before
You’ll be asked to wait at the hospital for up to 30 minutes after having the scan before you can go home if you had contrast medium.
Source: NHS
“I don’t accept that they were too busy and there’s nothing stopping them from handing out a leaflet to explain the risks and to explain what they are doing to her,” she said.
“I want to make people aware of the risks of contrast media and issues with the NHS.
“Those involved at the inquest and were saying it was someone else was at fault. But it should be a department wide decision and not on individual doctors.”
A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are deeply saddened by Leigh’s death, and our heartfelt condolences go out to her family during this incredibly difficult time.
“We are fully committed to providing the highest standard of patient care.
“A thorough investigation into Leigh’s care has been carried out, and the findings have been shared with Leigh’s family.
“We are ensuring that the lessons learned from this report are embedded across the Trust to improve our services.”
Symptoms of anaphylaxis
Symptoms of anaphylaxis happen very quickly.
They usually start within minutes of coming into contact with something you’re allergic to, such as a food, medicine or insect sting.
Symptoms include:
- Swelling of your throat and tongue
- Difficulty breathing or breathing very fast
- Difficulty swallowing, tightness in your throat or a hoarse voice
- Wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing
- Feeling tired or confused
- Feeling faint, dizzy or fainting
- Skin that feels cold to the touch
- Blue, grey or pale skin, lips or tongue – if you have brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet
You may also have a rash that’s swollen, raised or itchy.
Call 999 if you think you or someone else is having an anaphylactic reaction.
Source: NHS