‘Coughing could kill people taking blood thinning drug’

A COUGH could cause a brain haemorrhage in people taking a common blood thinning treatment, an inquest heard yesterday.

The Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard that Elizabeth Foran, 68, was being prescribed warfarin, an anti-coagulant used to prevent blood clots from forming or growing larger, by the clinic at the Mater Hospital before her death on July 20, 2005.

Dr Paul Downey, who carried out the autopsy, said the pensioner had a brain haemorrhage and had International Normalised Ratio (INR) levels well above those recommended. A rise in the INR level results in an increase in the risk of serious bleeding.