18/04/2013

Savita Halappanavar Inquest Hears Post-Mortem Details

The inquest into the death of Savita Halappanavar has heard details from her post-mortem, as the last witnesses gave their evidence.

The cause of Mrs Halappanavar's death was recorded as septic shock, E coli in her bloodstream and a miscarriage at 17 weeks, pathologist Professor Grace Callagy told the inquest.

When questioned by Praveen Halappanavar's legal team, Prof Callagy said there were no underlying conditions that contributed to her death.

Adding that Mrs Halappanavar had been a strong and healthy woman and she could not identify an exact time when she contracted sepsis and when her condition deteriorated to severe sepsis and then to septic shock.

Also before the inquest was retired paediatric pathologist Dr Peter Kelehan. He said he had seen less than five cases of septic abortion in 40 years and none of the patients had died.

Dr Kelehan said that of the 700 to 800 miscarriages he would see each year, it was exceedingly rare to come across the level of infection that he saw in the case of Mrs Halappanavar.

All evidence heard by the inquest over the last seven days will now be written up by coroner Dr Ciaran MacLoughlin, before being presented to the jury on Friday.

The jury will then be charged in relation to the verdicts they may return and inform them about recommendations they can append to the final verdict.

(H/CD)


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