A CORONER and pathologist decided that an external post mortem only should be carried out on the body of a drug addict because of the risk of infection, an inquest heard yesterday. Aidan Desmond (35), from St Vincent's Place, Blarney, Co Cork, had had a history of intravenous drug abuse since the 1980s.
The pathologist, Prof C.T. Doyle, said he had consulted the coroner, Mr Cornelius Riordan, after Mr Desmond's death about the post mortem examination. They agreed that because of his long history of drug abuse the examination should be an external one because of the risk of infection.
Prof Doyle said Mr Desmond had had previous admissions to Cork University Hospital for drug withdrawal and overdoses. When admitted on April 2nd this year he was suffering from a methadone overdose and was in a deep coma. He died nine days later.
Dr T.J. O'Mahony, a general practitioner, said Mr Desmond was introduced to him by another patient. He said he had accepted Mr Desmond as a patient with some reluctance. Mr Desmond had had a drug abuse problem for 10 to 12 years. He used cannabis, ecstasy, any type of opiate and heroin, both intravenously and by smoking it.
He put him on the programme and provided him with methadone on two occasions within a few days. He did not see him again for 12 days. Mr Desmond told him he had been in England, where he had got methadone. He gave him 300m of methadone. He did not see him again but was told by another patient that Mr Desmond had died from an overdose of methadone and ecstasy. The coroner returned a verdict of death by methadone overdose in accordance with the medical evidence.