Woman died of heart problem hours after Hull Royal release

A WOMAN died of an undiagnosed heart problem, just hours after being discharged from hospital.

Rose Can, 69, had visited Hull Royal Infirmary twice in two days but doctors failed to spot she had a thoracic aortic aneurysm – a bulging in the part of the aorta that passes through the chest.

She had been complaining of severe abdominal pain but tests carried out in the A&E department showed no signs of the life-threatening illness.

Ms Can, of east Hull, was found dead at home about six hours later in her bed by her daughter, who had been trying to contact her.

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Dr Ian Scott, the consultant who carried out the post mortem, told the inquest into her death high blood pressure was a contributing factor and Ms Can had a number of medical problems, including type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and asthma, which she took medication for.

She first complained of pain on Saturday, January 28, after a trip to the theatre with friends.

They advised her to go to the hospital and she checked in at Hull Royal Infirmary on Sunday, January 29, at about 5.50pm.

Dr Syed Hussain gave her an injection and she was sent home about two hours later, the inquest heard.

She then returned to hospital in the early hours on Monday morning, suffering from severe pain and was seen by Dr Fadeke Awobem.

It was about 2.30am when Dr Awobem looked through Ms Can's medical notes and found the report from the previous visit "hard to read".

She said: "Ms Can didn't have pain in her chest but complained of pain in her abdomen.

"Her blood tests showed no new abnormalities."

Dr Awobem thought Ms Can could have been suffering from gastric pain and discharged her at about 5am.

Ms Can tried to call her daughter, Meryl Bainbridge, for a lift home but could not reach her and instead phoned for a taxi.

Ms Bainbridge, of North Newbald, spoke to her mother at about 9am, who said she was tired having been in hospital.

Concerned about not being able to contact her in the afternoon, Ms Bainbridge went to visit her mother and found her dead in her bed.

Dr Mark Higson, of the A&E department at Hull Royal, said: "Between 12 to 18 people die of ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysms each year at Hull Royal out of about 125,000 patients.

"At least 50 per cent of those will be missed because it's a difficult condition to diagnose.

"It is also mostly men who suffer from them, not women.

"We would normally lower the patient's blood pressure before looking at surgery, which can be quite difficult."

Ms Can was born in Singapore and had been living in Hull for more than 30 years.

She moved to Severn Street in east Hull a decade ago and had six children; Sandra, Brenda, Avril, Meryl, David and Matthew, as well as ten grandchildren.

Matthew, of west Hull, said: "She was a very active woman who played cards and bingo and was never in when you popped round.

"She was the best mum you could have wished for and we find some comfort in the fact that she died peacefully at home."

Coroner Geoffrey Saul recorded a narrative verdict and said Ms Can died from hypovolemic shock caused by the thoracic aortic aneurysm. He passed on his condolences to Ms Can's family.