Grieving son of former Socceroo Stephen Herczeg lashes out after nurse gives evidence at inquest
THE grieving son of an ex-Socceroo who died in agony after a botched procedure in an Adelaide hospital has stormed from court after hearing his father was in no pain in the ED.
THE grieving son of a former Socceroo who died in agony after a botched Adelaide hospital medical procedure has stormed from court after hearing his father was confused but in no pain in the emergency department.
South Australia’s first World Cup qualifying player Stephen Herczeg, 72, died in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville last month from respiratory failure caused by a ruptured bladder and collapsed lungs.
An inquest has heard how Mr Herczeg, a Hungarian-born widower known as “Steve” died as a result of his catheter bag mistakenly connected to oxygen, which pumped 15L of air a minute into him.
It was one of several blunders uncovered in the aftermath of his death on September 19.
State Coroner Mark Johns is conducting an urgent inquest into the circumstances including why oxygen tubes were connected to Mr Herczeg - whose wife Kristine, 70, died almost exactly 12 months earlier - and whom made that fateful decision.
The hospital’s contentious new electronic records system, EPAS, has also come under scrutiny while questions have been asked why the catheter bag was not seized and fingerprinted.
Yesterday, emergency department registered nurse Stacy Woodward told the Coroners Court how she treated the lung cancer sufferer after he fell in his North Haven home.
She said he was “pleasantly confused” – meaning he listened politely to medical instructions and “wasn’t trying to climb out of bed or escape” - but in no pain when first treated.
While she did not recall her patient, she referred to complex EPAS notes, which she at times struggled to explain. Those notes showed Mr Herczeg had a concerning high heart, and pulse, rate.
Ms Woodward said she had found out about the death a fortnight ago after her manager said she would be compelled to give evidence at the inquest. She has not been formally interviewed by hospital management for any review.
After completing her evidence, Mr Herczeg’s son, Joshua, a 34 year-old boiler maker of North Haven - who quit his job to care for his father in his final 12 months - stormed from court in disgust.
He had also interjected during the hearing, prompting Mr Johns to pass on his “condolences”.
Mr Herczeg, who had been in the ED with his father, lashed the hospital’s management.
Flanked by his wife, Jess, he said he wanted “justice” and that he would not “want this to happen to anyone else again”.
Yesterday afternoon another ED registered nurse, Kirsty McCulloch, admitted she had mistakenly reviewed the patient’s catheter at shift changeover and wrongly recorded some of her observations.
She told how he had been delusional and asking about “lollies on the wall”, which doctors said was a sign of his urinary tract infection while a CT scan had ruled out any damage from his fall.
She said the family dismissed suggestions he had dementia. The inquest continues.
Mr Herczeg’s family, including his other devastated sons Steve, 51 and Christopher, 36, have told The Advertiser, how the grandfather of three was a “great man and a loving person”.
They added: “At the moment our whole family is grieving. All we really want are answers and for the truth to come out.”
Earlier this year, Mr Herczeg told The Advertiser of his pride at representing Australia, in the nation’s second ever FIFA World Cup qualifier in 1966.
A post mortem examination found death was from respiratory failure.
The inquest continues.