THE verdict of an inquest into the care of a 76 year-old man, who was discharged from University Hospital Limerick before passing away from sepsis, has been returned as medical misadventure.
In November 2023, Michael Cuddihy was taken by ambulance to UHL after experiencing vomiting and severe pain. When he arrived, he was told that he had a stomach bug.
After being advised that he was free to go, Mr Cuddihy asked to stay overnight. He was discharged the following day and passed away two days later from sepsis caused by a trapped gallstone.
Representatives from both the hospital itself and the HSE have apologised unreservedly to the family of Michael Cuddihy, admitting to failings in his care.
In a joint statement, UHL and the HSE said: “We apologise for the failings in the care that sadly and unfortunately led to Michael’s untimely death. We apologise unreservedly for your loss and the distress and upset that this has caused.”
For their part, UHL conceded that they would implement all of the review’s recommendations going forward. Mr Cuddihy’s family said that he was ‘treated appallingly and allowed to die when he had so much to live for’.
Medical witnesses were called to give evidence at the inquest, including the doctor who examined Mr Cuddihy. Dr David Herlihy said he reviewed the patient multiple times during his shift and that Mr Cuddihy did not seem to trigger any obvious sepsis markers such as fever, vomiting and worsening pain during his shift.
Mr Cuddihy’s condition deteriorated during his overnight stay in the hospital, displaying some of the well-known ‘red flag’ symptoms of sepsis including a high temperature, spiking blood pressure and vomiting.
Emergency Department Consultant Dr Alan Watts said that a protocol had now been implemented for receiving and interpreting bloods results, a move which might have saved Mr Cuddihy’s life had they been in place at the time of his demise. An Emergency Medicine Early Warning system has also been put in place for deteriorating patients.
The wife of the deceased, Áine Cuddihy, recalled what the day before her husband’s death had been like in her deposition. “On Wednesday he was much the same,” she said.
“He slept for longer and really only woke up to take a drink, which he then vomited. Again I asked him if he’d like to go back into the hospital and he’d say ‘they told me it was a bug and it will get better’.
“Neither he nor I were medically qualified and it did not enter our heads that they were wrong. I stayed up all night on Wednesday night and would look in at Michael to check he was OK. I didn’t wake him up if I could hear him sleeping.
“At 9.30 that morning I lay on my bed and dozed off asleep. Just before 12 noon I went out to his room again and his legs were out from under the duvet. I put my hands on his feet and said ‘Michael, your feet are freezing, I’ll put them in under the quilt’.
“There was no response from him and then I moved his arm. It was cold and hard. I then realised he was dead. I immediately called for an ambulance. I was distraught.
“The ambulance crew came and were extremely kind but told me there was nothing they could do. Shortly after that two members of the Garda Síochána arrived. They told me my options regarding getting a post-mortem and I decided this was what I wanted. They then alerted the undertaker who collected Michael and brought him back to UHL for the post mortem.
“My wonderful husband of almost 48 years was taken from my life and the lives of his children, their partners and his grandchildren. He was kindness personified and would never have neglected anyone or caused harm. I feel he was treated appallingly and allowed to die when he had so much for which to live,” Mrs Cuddihy said.
See More: HSE, Uhl, University Hospital Limerick
