Coroner: Hospital Paracetamol Overdose Not Cause of Mother’s Death

An official inquiry into the passing of a young mother, who received an excessive dose of paracetamol while hospitalized, has determined that the medication was not a factor in her demise. The hearing revealed that Laura Higginson, aged 30, who passed away on 19 April 2017 at Whiston Hospital in Prescot, Merseyside, suffered from a rare and severe genetic disorder. This condition resulted in her being significantly underweight, indicating she should have received a reduced dosage. The hospital, having previously acknowledged that it administered an excessive amount of paracetamol intravenously over a two-day period, stated that it promptly provided Mrs. Higginson with an antidote and maintained that the overdose did not lead to her death. Coroner Simon Holder declined both the hospital trust’s plea for a natural causes verdict and the family’s assertion of neglect, instead delivering a narrative conclusion. Mr. Holder commented that this finding would not impact any subsequent civil litigation and noted that the trust had failed to demonstrate a duty of candour towards the family. During the inquest, it was revealed that Mrs. Higginson received a standard adult dose, despite weighing under six stone (38kgs), which meant she should have been given half that amount. The error was identified two days and six doses later, at which point an antidote was administered. Nevertheless, Laura’s health deteriorated, and she succumbed to multi-organ failure and sepsis 12 days subsequent to this. Dr. Antony Higginson, Mrs. Higginson’s husband, had previously informed the coroner, presiding in Bootle, that his wife experienced vomiting blood and yellowing of the skin after the overdose. Dr. Higginson recounted “a lot of shouting going on at the nursing station” and further stated that there was “panic.” The inquiry was informed that Mrs. Higginson had presented at the hospital’s emergency department two days prior, reporting illness and coughing up a brown substance. Her health declined, leading to her death from multi-organ failure and sepsis. Mrs. Higginson had received a diagnosis of Gitelmam syndrome in 2010 and had made multiple visits to the hospital due to her kidney and liver complications.