SA Coroner holds inquest into 2012 death of young mother and baby at Women’s and Children’s Hospital

THE death of a woman and her unborn baby at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in 2012 from an undiagnosed aneurism was the second such case in three years, the Coroner’s Court has heard.

Foetus, unborn developing infant or dreaming child baby. (THINKSTOCK)

THE Coroners Court will investigate whether the state’s peak maternity hospital did not learn the lessons of a patient’s death and so failed to save another young mother and her baby.

Deputy State Coroner Anthony Schapel today began his inquest into the April 2012 death of Mellanie Joanne Paltridge, 25.

Ms Paltridge died in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital during surgery, having suffered an undiagnosed case of ruptured splenic artery aneurism (RSAA).

Today Naomi Kereru, counsel assisting the coroner, said Ms Paltridge was the second woman to die from the “rare” condition at the Women’s and Children’s in a three-year period.

The first was Monique Hooper, who died in 2009 from the condition, which has a 75 per cent mortality rate for women and a 90 per cent mortality rate for unborn babies.

“Ms Hooper’s death is relevant to what, if any, training and education Women’s and Children’s Hospital staff received just after her death,” Ms Kereru said.

“This inquest will examine whether her death was an opportunity to create awareness among medical staff for possible future events.

“It will also examine whether if Ms Paltridge’s condition had been diagnosed, or at least suspected, her life could have been saved — and, in doing so, the life of her baby.”

Ms Kereru said Ms Paltridge was 23 weeks pregnant when, while shopping with her husband, she complained of acute abdominal pain and collapsed.

She said Ms Paltridge was taken to the Women’s and Children’s by ambulance and seen by three doctors — two of whom “considered” or “questioned” RSAA but did not inquire further.

Though an abdomen ultrasound was supposedly ordered, Ms Kereru said investigators had found no trace of the paperwork needed to authorise such a procedure.

Ms Kereru said Ms Paltridge’s condition worsened, her blood pressure dropped and her heart rate elevated — she described her pain as 6/10 even after 10mg of OxyContin.

She said doctors called for an emergency caesarian but, upon the introduction of anaesthesia, Ms Paltridge suffered cardiac arrest.

Doctors would subsequently “evacuate” more than 4L of blood from her abdomen — and remove her spleen — but could not locate the source of the haemorrhage.

Ms Paltride died an hour after anaesthesia while her baby — born with a number of health problems — died the next day.

Ms Kereru said an autopsy revealed the source of Ms Paltridge’s internal bleeding was a rupture in her splenic aorta.

The inquest is expected to conclude next Thursday.

Follow @SeanFewster