A woman died after a rare allergic reaction to an iodine-based dye used during a CT scan, an inquest has heard.
Leigh Rodgers, who was 34, had been suffering from a painful toothache, which subsequently spread to the neck and chest, for around two weeks.
She was taken to University Hospital of North Durham on March 7, 2024, in an ambulance called by her partner, Darren, and was assessed for a tooth abscess.
In a statement to Crook Coroners’ Court on Wednesday, Darren said: “She had been experiencing tooth ache for around 10-14 days. In the past, the pain had subsided with painkillers, but that wasn’t working this time.
“Leigh went to work on the morning of March 7, and had tried to get a dentist appointment but couldn’t for weeks. She couldn’t wait that long. I called the ambulance and the paramedics came, and when we got to the hospital, we were told that it was a dental issue but the doctor could assist with the pain.”
Medics decided Leigh needed a CT scan of her neck and thorax to rule out the presence of Ludwig’s angina, a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection that affects the floor of the mouth and neck, and can occur as a result of a tooth infection.
She was given iodine-based contrast media, a special dye which makes parts of the body more visible on scans and, while still in the scan machine, she went into anaphylactic shock.
In his statement Darren said: “We thought nothing of her being asked to go for the CT scan, she was in the doctor’s hands at that point. I saw a rush of people go into the room, and I couldn’t really see what was happening, but soon found out that Leigh had suffered a reaction.”
Despite attempts to resuscitate her for over 90 minutes, she died just after 6.15pm.
A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was a reaction to a chemical used for the purpose of medical treatment. Dr Oliver Moore, a consultant in emergency medicine at the University Hospital of North Durham, gave evidence at the inquest.
He said: “My colleague felt that Leigh’s dental infection required further investigation, and that a CT scan of her neck and thorax was the best cause of action, because two weeks of dental pain which then spread to the neck and chest is a significant red flag for Ludwig’s angina.
“This was a reasonable working diagnosis to have, despite no evidence of Ludwig’s angina showing up on the scan results. CT scans do come with a risk of reaction, but this is the single case of this situation in my practice, and I believe that there was no delay in administering treatment.”
Crispin Oliver, senior assistant coroner for County Durham and Darlington, delivered a narrative verdict, ruling that Leigh had died from “severe refractory anaphylaxis to contrast media”.
In his conclusion, Mr Oliver said: “This is a death in very unusual circumstances, and it is extremely unfortunate. I wish that Leigh’s family did not have to be here today, and I hope that this never happens to anyone again.”
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/woman-rushed-hospital-severe-toothache-31047301
