Kerry pensioner choked and died in ‘café coronary’, inquest told

A 70-year-old man choked and collapsed while eating lunch in the dining room of a day care centre in Rathmore, Co Kerry, in what was described as an incident of “café coronary”, an inquest into his death heard.

A significant risk factor was lack of teeth for chewing food, and coroners’ courts in Co Kerry came across deaths at mealtime fairly regularly, the inquest was told.

Two nurses performed back slaps and the Heimlich manoeuvre on Dermot Dennehy, of Cools, Rathmore, Co Kerry but they failed to revive him.

The inquest in Killarney also heard how a local community defibrillator failed to function.

The jury of six men returned a verdict of accidental death.

Dr Margot Bolster, State pathologist, found a piece of chicken had lodged in the larynx and paramedics could not remove it. She described what had occurred as “café coronary” which results in sudden collapse and death.

She also said that “poor dentition” was a recognised risk factor in such sudden collapses while eating.

Coroner for south Kerry, Terence Casey extended his deepest sympathy to the family but said “unfortunately I come across this fairly regularly in this county”.