Position wife lay in possibly aided her death, inquest told

THE position in which a woman, who died from hypothermic shock after consuming “a very high level” of alcohol, was lying could have contributed to her death, an inquest heard yesterday.

Brendan Kane discovered his wife, Josephine, 44, of Kiltale, Dunsany, Co Meath, lying unconscious across a wooden chair in the kitchen of the couple’s home in the early hours of November 9, 2006, Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard.

When he was unable to rouse her, he contacted the emergency services and Ms Kane, who was profoundly unconscious with low blood pressure, was admitted to the Navan hospital.

She was transferred to Beaumont Hospital later that day, but she died three days later on November 12.

A post-mortem examination indicated Ms Kane died from hypothermic shock with infarction or death of parts of her bowels, liver and spleen, against the background of an extremely high alcohol level in her blood. This was “a level in itself which could be fatal for a woman”, the court heard.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell told the court Ms Kane’s death was a “very complicated case” and that “the position in which she was lying may have been a factor in her death”.

The inquest heard she was admitted to the Navan hospital in a profoundly unconscious state suffering from hypothermia, low blood pressure and a clotting problem.

She also exhibited changes in her kidneys, spleen and liver due to interruption of the blood supply to her bowels. She underwent bowel surgery in Beaumont Hospital but her condition continued to deteriorate and she died in the intensive care unit.

Mr Kane told the court his wife drank a lot of gin the previous night to numb pain in her back and neck as her medication wasn’t providing enough relief.

He couldn’t wake her up the next morning and contacted the emergency services.