Hospital's failure to detect pregnancy 'did not contribute' to beautician's death |
Zoe Alexandra Tighe died at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital (N&N) after being transferred there critically ill from the James Paget Hospital (JPH) in 2023.
The 22-year-old had gone to the JPH on four occasions over a six week period complaining of lower abdominal pain.
She had been treated for a recurring urinary tract infection (UTI) but medics failed to carry out a pregnancy test on Miss Tighe, who did not know she was expecting.
James Paget University Hospital (Image: Newsquest)
She was eventually diagnosed with sepsis during her final admission, where a scan also revealed she was 14 weeks pregnant.
However, the baby had already died as a result of the infection.
Speaking to Norfolk Coroner's Court during the final day of the inquest, area coroner Johanna Thompson found there had been missed opportunities to detect an unknown pregnancy and refer her to specialist maternity services.
However, she concluded those failings did not cause her death.
Zoe Tighe died in June 2023 aged 22 (Image: Go Fund Me)
Recording a short narrative conclusion, the coroner said Miss Tighe died from “medical complications arising from ketamine misuse”.
She added: “I do find there was a missed opportunity to offer additional support for Zoe by the pregnancy test not being performed.”
But she said tests showed no infection of the foetus, placenta or birth canal, meaning the sepsis did not originate from the pregnancy or a missed miscarriage.
The evidence instead indicated Miss Tighe went into septic shock as a result of a urinary tract infection complicated by damage caused to her bladder through years of drug use.
The inquest was previously told Miss Tighe, of Stradbroke Road, Lowestoft, began misusing ketamine aged 17.
By the age of 20 she had suffered severe bladder ulceration, chronic pain, incontinence and frequent urinary infections.
Zoe Tighe died in June 2023 (Image:........