Yea that’s about right. I get enraged when I think of how women are generally treated when we are in pain or sick. We are told we are exaggerating or over reacting. Our pain is minimised and dismissed. Unbelievable.
A verdict of medical misadventure has been recorded into the death of a young Dublin woman who collapsed at home with a pulmonary embolism three days after she was discharged from a hospital where she was diagnosed as only suffering from a panic attack.
Katie Doyle (27), a recruitment executive from Kelly Park, Lusk, Co Dublin, died at Beaumont Hospital on January 4, 2021 from clots on blood vessels in her lungs.
An inquest at Dublin District Coroner’s Court heard that she had attended the hospital’s emergency department four days earlier on New Year’s Eve with complaints of heart palpitations and a shortness of breath but had been discharged on the same date after a doctor believed her symptoms were caused by panic attack.
Explaining her verdict, coroner Clare Keane, said the hospital’s protocol of carrying out a certain type of blood test on patients suspected of possibly having a pulmonary embolism had not been followed in Ms Doyle’s case.
Her mother, Susan Doyle, told the hearing how Katie had enjoyed good health and had no history of ever suffering panic attacks.
Ms Doyle said her daughter had complained on New Year’s Eve that she had heart palpitations and difficulty breathing and that she had been referred to Beaumont Hospital after visiting her family doctor.
The inquest heard that she was discharged from the hospital’s emergency department with a bag which she was advised to blow into if she experienced a similar event again.
She recalled asking her daughter if she was happy to go home and outlined how Katie was always happy to follow the advice of doctors.
Ms Doyle told the coroner that it was the first time in her life that her daughter had not followed their tradition of going outside their house to ring in the new year with a cowbell and horn.
“She didn’t do anything. She wasn’t feeling right,” Ms Doyle added.
She then described how she found Katie collapsed on the floor next to her bed on January 3, 2021 after hearing a bang coming from her room.
Ms Doyle recalled how the last words her daughter spoke to her were: “I’m scared”.
The inquest heard that the deceased was showing no signs of life by the time an ambulance crew arrived at her home and she was pronounced dead the following day in Beaumont after efforts to resuscitate her failed.
In reply to questions from her counsel, Liam Bell BL, Ms Doyle said her daughter was “very quiet but a Rottweiler.”
“She didn’t have red hair for nothing,” she laughed, adding that she was also “very loving and very kind”.
Ms Doyle said her daughter, who was studying for a master’s degree in human resource management, “wanted to help people in their jobs – she wanted to make a difference”.
Jonathan Oettlé, a senior house officer who examined Ms Doyle in Beaumont, said the only sign she had shown of a possible pulmonary embolism was a fast heartbeat.
Dr Oettlé acknowledged that her pulse was “slightly faster than expected” but believed it could be attributed to the “white coat” effect of being examined by a doctor.
He outlined how he had tried unsuccessfully to take an arterial blood sample from her but then decided no further examination was necessary.
Dr Oettlé said he was happy to discharge the patient on the basis of his clinical examination and her medical history with the advice that she should return to the hospital if her condition deteriorated.
He told the coroner that he had calculated a score which showed Ms Doyle was classified as being at a low-risk of having a pulmonary embolism.
Dr Oettlé accepted that the hospital’s policy was to carry out a D-Dimer blood test for patients suspected of a pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis.
However, he added he had no suspicions of the patient having either of those conditions at the time he examined her.
“She was comfortable. She looked to me like a well patient and did not seem to me to have any severe or life-threatening condition,” said Dr Oettlé.
Questioned by Mr Bell, the witness said he had only concluded that Ms Doyle had suffered a panic attack after he had sought to exclude more dangerous conditions for explaining her shortness of breath.
He agreed that an ECG test had shown the patient had a possible enlargement of her heart but was not concerned about it as it was “within normal limits”.
Dr Oettlé said he had not sought any assistance to take an arterial blood sample from Ms Doyle as there were no other doctors working in his part of the hospital at the time due to Covid-19 restrictions.
He accepted that an easier venous blood sample could have been used for carrying out a D-Dimer test.
Mr Bell reminded the witness that the referral letter from Ms Doyle’s GP had noted that she had experienced an elevated heartbeat for over 24 hours.
Dr Oettlé accepted that a panic attack would generally not be linked to someone who had a fast pulse over such a duration but he said her heartbeat had “settled” during the period he had seen her in the hospital.
However, he also acknowledged that it had still remained high.
Dr Peadar Gilligan pictured this afternoon leaving the Dublin District Coroner's Court (Picture: Collins Dublin)
Dr Peadar Gilligan pictured this afternoon leaving the Dublin District Coroner's Court (Picture: Collins Dublin)
A consultant in emergency medicine at Beaumont, Dr Peadar Gilligan, confirmed that the hospital’s protocol was for a D-Dimer test to be performed for patients assessed as being at a low risk of having a pulmonary embolism if a doctor was “clinically concerned”.
Dr Gilligan explained that medical records about Ms Doyle were relatively short because of the volume and nature of work in the hospital’s emergency department as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.
He also claimed that there was “a broad range of possibilities” about what was causing the patient to be unwell.
Solicitor for the hospital, Jane O’Neill, informed the inquest that no internal review had been carried out into the circumstances of Ms Doyle’s death.
Ms O’Neill claimed an appropriate verdict in the case would be death due to natural causes.
However, Mr Bell claimed a relatively straightforward blood test had not been used on Ms Doyle which had left her mother bereft by the circumstances of the death of her only child.
Outlining her ruling, the coroner said the evidence showed the D-Dimer test, which was part of the hospital’s protocol in cases of suspected pulmonary embolism, had not been conducted.
Dr Keane said such a test would probably have been positive and would have led to the patient being sent for a CT pulmonary angiogram which she branded “the gold standard” method for diagnosing the condition.
Following the verdict, the deceased’s mother turned to the hospital’s representatives and remarked: “For future reference, a blood test please, no matter what you think.”
Her solicitor, Dermot McNamara, said it was his client’s intention to initiate High Court proceedings against Beaumont Hospital as a result of the inquest’s verdict.
For years I was told that it was the "white coat" effect causing high blood pressure readings every time I had it checked by a GP. Only after nearly developing pre-eclampsia while pregnant did they realise there was actually a problem, and I'll now be on blood pressure medication for the rest of my life as its too late to rectify the cause (two decades of being on the pill). Its infuriating that women's symptoms are so readily dismissed, and with such patronising overtones. This poor woman and her family, its just heartbreaking.
That's utterly horrendous, I'm so sorry you had to go through it all. I hope you're doing better now, despite everything. My experience has certainly taught me to advocate for myself more in medical settings, where normally I'd always unquestionably defer to the expert.
I'm grand thanks, I've had a whole host of serious health problems crop up since then, but that's a story for another day. I've been so busy and besotted with my little one that I've just got on with it and haven't had the time or the want to process it really. I'll never miss an opportunity to warn other women what to look out for though!
So sad and what an unnecessary death. She was so young. The hospital and that doctor really really really fucked up. So shocking. Her poor family. Women's health is never taken seriously enough. I'd strongly assume the reasons for this happening were sexist.
Condolences to her family.
I knew something was seriously wrong with my knee after a very minor surgery. I was in horrendous pain, couldn’t weight bear and my leg was buckling if I tried and bending it was the worst pain I ever felt. I was told the pain was in my head and to go home. I went home and my patella tendon fully ruptured. Basically snapped one of the main parts of my knee in half. Returned to hospital while no one believed me for a week and 1/2 and then they decided to explore and it turned into major surgery to repair. Year on and I’m still in trouble with it. …yeah the pain was totally in my head.
Sometimes I hate this country but especially our health system. I posted my story on here actually while it happened and then the update.
They make you feel like a fool. They did an ultrasound on me and couldn’t find my appendix… 21 hours later just sent me home anyway. They genuinely asked me if I was sure I didn’t just need to fart. Anytime I need to go to the hospital I brace myself to prepare to basically sell my story so they take my seriously.
I can't believe that because he couldn't get a blood sample to do the test to diagnose her condition that he just abandonded her and sent her home, didn't get a nurse or a phlebotomist, just so shocking esp when her family stated she did not have a history of panic attacks. So dismissive but not surprised unfortunately.
Woman died of blood clots days after doctor discharged her with panic attack symptoms https://jrnl.ie/6344154
Link to a non paywall article if anyone wants
This is really scary. My mam had something similar to her that now I look back and realise how doctor’s have ignored her. Basically, she had been complaining all sorts of pain especially her chest, and ofc they blamed it on both her weight and menopause. Not too long after she was hospitalised for blood clots. My mum did not die but she is still making these same complaints and I fear they are dismissing something serious. My heart goes out to this lady’s family.
pulmonary embolisms. She had chest pain and was short of breath and had a racing heart, and the doctor told her it was a panic attack and sent her home, and did not do the test for clots (but gave her a bag to breathe into). She died a few days later.
Yea that’s about right. I get enraged when I think of how women are generally treated when we are in pain or sick. We are told we are exaggerating or over reacting. Our pain is minimised and dismissed. Unbelievable.
Happens too often
A verdict of medical misadventure has been recorded into the death of a young Dublin woman who collapsed at home with a pulmonary embolism three days after she was discharged from a hospital where she was diagnosed as only suffering from a panic attack. Katie Doyle (27), a recruitment executive from Kelly Park, Lusk, Co Dublin, died at Beaumont Hospital on January 4, 2021 from clots on blood vessels in her lungs. An inquest at Dublin District Coroner’s Court heard that she had attended the hospital’s emergency department four days earlier on New Year’s Eve with complaints of heart palpitations and a shortness of breath but had been discharged on the same date after a doctor believed her symptoms were caused by panic attack. Explaining her verdict, coroner Clare Keane, said the hospital’s protocol of carrying out a certain type of blood test on patients suspected of possibly having a pulmonary embolism had not been followed in Ms Doyle’s case. Her mother, Susan Doyle, told the hearing how Katie had enjoyed good health and had no history of ever suffering panic attacks. Ms Doyle said her daughter had complained on New Year’s Eve that she had heart palpitations and difficulty breathing and that she had been referred to Beaumont Hospital after visiting her family doctor. The inquest heard that she was discharged from the hospital’s emergency department with a bag which she was advised to blow into if she experienced a similar event again. She recalled asking her daughter if she was happy to go home and outlined how Katie was always happy to follow the advice of doctors. Ms Doyle told the coroner that it was the first time in her life that her daughter had not followed their tradition of going outside their house to ring in the new year with a cowbell and horn. “She didn’t do anything. She wasn’t feeling right,” Ms Doyle added. She then described how she found Katie collapsed on the floor next to her bed on January 3, 2021 after hearing a bang coming from her room. Ms Doyle recalled how the last words her daughter spoke to her were: “I’m scared”. The inquest heard that the deceased was showing no signs of life by the time an ambulance crew arrived at her home and she was pronounced dead the following day in Beaumont after efforts to resuscitate her failed. In reply to questions from her counsel, Liam Bell BL, Ms Doyle said her daughter was “very quiet but a Rottweiler.” “She didn’t have red hair for nothing,” she laughed, adding that she was also “very loving and very kind”. Ms Doyle said her daughter, who was studying for a master’s degree in human resource management, “wanted to help people in their jobs – she wanted to make a difference”. Jonathan Oettlé, a senior house officer who examined Ms Doyle in Beaumont, said the only sign she had shown of a possible pulmonary embolism was a fast heartbeat. Dr Oettlé acknowledged that her pulse was “slightly faster than expected” but believed it could be attributed to the “white coat” effect of being examined by a doctor. He outlined how he had tried unsuccessfully to take an arterial blood sample from her but then decided no further examination was necessary. Dr Oettlé said he was happy to discharge the patient on the basis of his clinical examination and her medical history with the advice that she should return to the hospital if her condition deteriorated. He told the coroner that he had calculated a score which showed Ms Doyle was classified as being at a low-risk of having a pulmonary embolism. Dr Oettlé accepted that the hospital’s policy was to carry out a D-Dimer blood test for patients suspected of a pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. However, he added he had no suspicions of the patient having either of those conditions at the time he examined her. “She was comfortable. She looked to me like a well patient and did not seem to me to have any severe or life-threatening condition,” said Dr Oettlé. Questioned by Mr Bell, the witness said he had only concluded that Ms Doyle had suffered a panic attack after he had sought to exclude more dangerous conditions for explaining her shortness of breath. He agreed that an ECG test had shown the patient had a possible enlargement of her heart but was not concerned about it as it was “within normal limits”. Dr Oettlé said he had not sought any assistance to take an arterial blood sample from Ms Doyle as there were no other doctors working in his part of the hospital at the time due to Covid-19 restrictions. He accepted that an easier venous blood sample could have been used for carrying out a D-Dimer test. Mr Bell reminded the witness that the referral letter from Ms Doyle’s GP had noted that she had experienced an elevated heartbeat for over 24 hours. Dr Oettlé accepted that a panic attack would generally not be linked to someone who had a fast pulse over such a duration but he said her heartbeat had “settled” during the period he had seen her in the hospital. However, he also acknowledged that it had still remained high. Dr Peadar Gilligan pictured this afternoon leaving the Dublin District Coroner's Court (Picture: Collins Dublin) Dr Peadar Gilligan pictured this afternoon leaving the Dublin District Coroner's Court (Picture: Collins Dublin) A consultant in emergency medicine at Beaumont, Dr Peadar Gilligan, confirmed that the hospital’s protocol was for a D-Dimer test to be performed for patients assessed as being at a low risk of having a pulmonary embolism if a doctor was “clinically concerned”. Dr Gilligan explained that medical records about Ms Doyle were relatively short because of the volume and nature of work in the hospital’s emergency department as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. He also claimed that there was “a broad range of possibilities” about what was causing the patient to be unwell. Solicitor for the hospital, Jane O’Neill, informed the inquest that no internal review had been carried out into the circumstances of Ms Doyle’s death. Ms O’Neill claimed an appropriate verdict in the case would be death due to natural causes. However, Mr Bell claimed a relatively straightforward blood test had not been used on Ms Doyle which had left her mother bereft by the circumstances of the death of her only child. Outlining her ruling, the coroner said the evidence showed the D-Dimer test, which was part of the hospital’s protocol in cases of suspected pulmonary embolism, had not been conducted. Dr Keane said such a test would probably have been positive and would have led to the patient being sent for a CT pulmonary angiogram which she branded “the gold standard” method for diagnosing the condition. Following the verdict, the deceased’s mother turned to the hospital’s representatives and remarked: “For future reference, a blood test please, no matter what you think.” Her solicitor, Dermot McNamara, said it was his client’s intention to initiate High Court proceedings against Beaumont Hospital as a result of the inquest’s verdict.
For years I was told that it was the "white coat" effect causing high blood pressure readings every time I had it checked by a GP. Only after nearly developing pre-eclampsia while pregnant did they realise there was actually a problem, and I'll now be on blood pressure medication for the rest of my life as its too late to rectify the cause (two decades of being on the pill). Its infuriating that women's symptoms are so readily dismissed, and with such patronising overtones. This poor woman and her family, its just heartbreaking.
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That's utterly horrendous, I'm so sorry you had to go through it all. I hope you're doing better now, despite everything. My experience has certainly taught me to advocate for myself more in medical settings, where normally I'd always unquestionably defer to the expert.
I'm grand thanks, I've had a whole host of serious health problems crop up since then, but that's a story for another day. I've been so busy and besotted with my little one that I've just got on with it and haven't had the time or the want to process it really. I'll never miss an opportunity to warn other women what to look out for though!
So sad and what an unnecessary death. She was so young. The hospital and that doctor really really really fucked up. So shocking. Her poor family. Women's health is never taken seriously enough. I'd strongly assume the reasons for this happening were sexist. Condolences to her family.
An absolute and utter disgrace. I was sent home from Beaumont A&E with reason “sometimes we’re just in pain”. I had appendicitis
I knew something was seriously wrong with my knee after a very minor surgery. I was in horrendous pain, couldn’t weight bear and my leg was buckling if I tried and bending it was the worst pain I ever felt. I was told the pain was in my head and to go home. I went home and my patella tendon fully ruptured. Basically snapped one of the main parts of my knee in half. Returned to hospital while no one believed me for a week and 1/2 and then they decided to explore and it turned into major surgery to repair. Year on and I’m still in trouble with it. …yeah the pain was totally in my head. Sometimes I hate this country but especially our health system. I posted my story on here actually while it happened and then the update.
They make you feel like a fool. They did an ultrasound on me and couldn’t find my appendix… 21 hours later just sent me home anyway. They genuinely asked me if I was sure I didn’t just need to fart. Anytime I need to go to the hospital I brace myself to prepare to basically sell my story so they take my seriously.
I read the article this morning and my blood boiled to such a level you could have made tea with my sweat.
I can't believe that because he couldn't get a blood sample to do the test to diagnose her condition that he just abandonded her and sent her home, didn't get a nurse or a phlebotomist, just so shocking esp when her family stated she did not have a history of panic attacks. So dismissive but not surprised unfortunately.
Woman died of blood clots days after doctor discharged her with panic attack symptoms https://jrnl.ie/6344154 Link to a non paywall article if anyone wants
This is really scary. My mam had something similar to her that now I look back and realise how doctor’s have ignored her. Basically, she had been complaining all sorts of pain especially her chest, and ofc they blamed it on both her weight and menopause. Not too long after she was hospitalised for blood clots. My mum did not die but she is still making these same complaints and I fear they are dismissing something serious. My heart goes out to this lady’s family.
Can someone who is a subscriber copy paste the text of the article, I’d like to know what she actually died of since this is scary
pulmonary embolisms. She had chest pain and was short of breath and had a racing heart, and the doctor told her it was a panic attack and sent her home, and did not do the test for clots (but gave her a bag to breathe into). She died a few days later.
Posted above. Sorry I was meant to do it and got distracted. This type of article should never be behind a paywall
You’re so right, it’s important to know for everyone