 A Torbay Hospital doctor sent the woman home |
A critically-ill patient, who later died from a flesh-eating bug should not have been sent home from Torbay Hospital, an inquest has been told. Vanessa McMahon was a healthy 40-year-old mother from Totnes.
The Torquay inquest heard how she suddenly became ill with diarrhoea, vomiting and severe leg pains.
She was admitted to the casualty department of Torbay Hospital, but was sent home by a junior doctor, even though she was cold and clammy.
No signs of condition
Just a few hours later she was readmitted, this time to intensive care, but by then it was too late.
None of the doctors who saw her in her last 24 hours realised she had necrotising fasciitis, or the flesh-eating bug, the hearing was told.
Two consultant surgeons at Torbay, Ian Currie and Veronica Convey, told the inquest Miss McMahon should not have been sent home from casualty.
Ms Convey said the condition was so rare that she would not have expected the doctor to make a correct diagnosis because there were no visible signs of the disease on the skin.
The inquest continues.
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