A MAN who fractured his hip in a fall died following the development of a blood clot after his anti-clotting medication was stopped prior to surgery, an inquest has heard.
Henry Oliver (82), of Cluain Aoibhinn, Maynooth, Co Kildare was admitted to James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown on January 14th, 2010, following a fall.
Mr Oliver was on the anti-clotting medication warfarin due to a heart problem, which was stopped the following day to allow surgery, Dublin County Coroners’ Court heard. He was given Vitamin K on January 25th as his blood was still too thin to permit surgery.
Surgery for a half hip replacement was scheduled for January 26th, but upon commencing, the surgeon found pus in his hip joint.
Surgeon Mr Paddy Kenny told the inquest it was “a very surprising and unusual finding”, and the joint was washed out.
Mr Oliver was on antibiotics and had been complaining of left hip flank pain. A further “wash out” of the hip three days later found the pus extended to the pelvis, and Mr Oliver was admitted to intensive care after surgery.
Emergency abdominal surgery on February 2nd found an area of his bowel was dead. This was removed. However, Mr Oliver died later that day.
The inquest heard that, after Mr Oliver’s warfarin was stopped, a small clot developed which travelled and blocked an artery supplying blood to his bowel. A postmortem found he died of multi-organ failure due to lack of blood supply to the bowel, due to a clot.