Man, 86, suffered reaction after op

An elderly man died from an adverse reaction to a common antibiotic he was prescribed to prevent possible infection following a successful operation, an inquest has heard.

Michael Byrne, 86, a father of seven from Abbeylands, Navan, Co Meath, died at the Mater Hospital on December 24, 2013, having developed liver and kidney failure when he suffered an adverse reaction to a component of Augmentin.

Dublin Coroner’s Court heard Mr Byrne was prescribed Augmentin following a hernia operation at Cavan General Hospital on October 12, 2013.

Coroner Brian Farrell said a medical report from the hospital indicates the operation was “uneventful”. Mr Byrne was discharged four days after the operation with advice to take painkillers and antibiotics and to go to his GP for clip removal.

Mr Byrne was admitted to Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, on referral by his GP on November 6 as he had become “extremely jaundiced”.

Mr Byrne was discharged on November 25 but over the following days, his kidney function deteriorated. He was re-admitted to Navan hospital and transferred to the Mater two days later on December 13. He underwent a liver biopsy seven days later and subsequently became progressively unwell with admission to the intensive care unit where he died on Christmas Eve.

Following the autopsy, pathologist Conor O’Keane gave the cause of death as hepatorenal syndrome, or kidney and liver failure, as a result of drug-induced liver disease. Clavulanic acid, a component of Augmentin, was named as the likely cause.

Speaking from the body of the court, Mr Byrne’s daughter Julie Kingston said it is “very hard to accept” what had happened.

Dr Farrell returned a verdict of death due to an adverse drug reaction and assured the family he will write to the Irish Medicines Board notifying them of the death.