Swab 'the size of a mini football' left inside woman at Dublin hospital

A woman has been awarded almost €140,000 in damages after a hospital left a swab inside her for three weeks in December 2012.

It had been claimed the swab in question was "like a mini football" in size.

Mr Justice Kevin Cross said Claire Lalor from Swords, Co Dublin, had suffered extreme trauma after the vaginal swab went undetected for almost three weeks, despite two visits to the National Maternity Hospital.

A female doctor later found that a swab "the size of a mini football" had been left inside her - and it was removed immediately.

The High Court heard that after that swab was removed, Ms Lalor continued to suffer the effects of an infection, including swelling, chills, fever and diarrhoea.

She eventually recovered physically, but she said that continues to suffer psychologically to this day.

The National Maternity Hospital admitted liability in this case of the insertion of the swab and the failure to detect it on two occasions.

It also accepted liability for the infection that developed after that.