Woman told doctor of drug allergy

A mother who died in hospital after wrongly being given penicillin had warned doctors she was allergic to the drug, an inquest has heard.

Teresa Innes, 38, of Turnhill Grove, Bradford suffered anaphylactic shock and was left in a coma after she was given the drug in September 2001.

Ms Innes had been due to have a minor operation on an insect bite on her leg.

She died in August 2003, after a judge gave permission for the Bradford Royal Infirmary to end artificial feeding.

Allergy wristband

Bradford Coroner's Court heard the former care worker noticed an infection on her left thigh, thought to have come from an insect bite, when she returned from a holiday to Corfu.

She developed an abscess on her leg and was prescribed non-penicillin antibiotics by her GP.

After a week, there was no improvement and she returned to her health centre to be referred to Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Teresa made a point of telling this doctor she was allergic to penicillin Marlene Greaves, a friend of Ms Innes

During a ward round at the hospital on 24 September, Ms Innes was prescribed penicillin by Dr John Griffin ahead of an operation to drain the abscess on her leg.

The court heard her medical notes recorded her allergy to the drug and she was wearing a bright red allergy wristband.

In a statement read to the court, Marlene Greaves, who has since died, said Ms Innes had been assessed in the accident and emergency department of the hospital before being transferred to a ward.

"Teresa made a point of telling this doctor she was allergic to penicillin and he said he already knew because it was in her notes.

The court was told Ms Innes had previously suffered an anaphylactic reaction to the drug in 1997 and took two days to recover.

Post mortem examinations found Ms Innes died from brain damage due to a lack of oxygen brought on by anaphylactic shock and leading to an irrecoverable persistent vegetative state.

The hearing continues.