'Diagnostic test could have caused a stroke'

A YOUNG Cork woman with a rare disease who is receiving treatment in the UK was told by her doctor that a drug administered to her during a diagnostic test in Ireland could have caused a stroke.

Aimee Foley, 26, from Midleton, Co Cork, said the near-miss was further proof of the lack of expertise here to treat her condition, known as Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Despite that lack of expertise, the State has refused to fund her treatment overseas.

The test which could have had catastrophic consequences for Aimee was carried out at a Cork hospital. Called a “tilt” test, it’s used to diagnose why someone is prone to fainting. The test involves use of a drug called isoproterenol to lower blood pressure and increase heart rate. Although this is normal procedure for the test, Aimee was told by her UK doctor, who is a specialist in treating EDS, that giving the drug to an EDS patient is dangerous. “I didn’t know that until I was read the report and it was said to me during a consultation. My risk of stroke during the procedure was extremely high,” Aimee said.