BREAKING: Verdict delivered into the death of 33-year-old woman in Limerick hospital

A NARRATIVE verdict was delivered at the inquest into the death of a 33-year-old woman who had suffered a miscarriage one day before she died. 

Leona Cusack of Ballycasey, Shannon, died on February 18, 2024 in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) after suffering a cardiac arrest.

The young mother-to-be had first presented to University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL), before being transferred to UHL by ambulance due to fears of a cardiac incident. 

The Cusack and Kirwan families broke down in tears, as the verdict was delivered, having urged the coroner to consider a verdict of medical misadventure, and they have indicated that civil proceedings will follow on from this inquest. 

Limerick coroner John McNamara said that it was a difficult case for the family, for the medical staff who gave evidence and that "there was a lot of humanity shown during the course of the inquest." 

The cause of death was given as cardiorespiratory failure due to neutrophilic myocarditis, a very rare condition, which pathologist Dr Marcell Szasz told the inquest he has only seen once or twice in his whole life.

The inquest, which began on Wednesday in Kilmallock Courthouse and finished this Thursday afternoon, heard Ms Cusack was treated for sepsis, but did not get broad spectrum antibiotics soon enough. 

In order to reduce the rate of death from sepsis, it should be treated within one hour of diagnosis. 

The inquest heard that even after her death, that no pathogen as the cause of sepsis, was ever detected. 

READ MORE: Woman, 33, died at Limerick hospital just one day after learning she had suffered a miscarriage 

The inquest heard that a consultant cardiologist who was Ms Cusack’s primary carer in University Hospital Limerick,  said there was a breach of sepsis protocol. 

Dr Cormac O'Connor said: “The breach of protocol was that only benzylpenicillin was administered.” 

This is a narrow spectrum, rather than broad spectrum antibiotic.

“It was an oversight,” the heart specialist said. 

Dr O'Connor also said that post mortem investigations revealed that Ms Cusack had an “exceedingly rare” condition called neutrophilic myocarditis. 

This is a rare, inflammatory condition of the heart muscle characterised by a high concentration of neutrophils. 

It is often a severe complication of bacterial or fungal infections, especially in the context of sepsis. 

He explained that this condition “spanned through all three layers of the heart” and is often only detectable in autopsy, as there is a high mortality rate. 

Dr O'Connor also apologised for the comments about Ms Cusack having “the heart of a lion”, talking to the patient about broken heart syndrome and Grey's Anatomy and telling her sister that Ms Cusack should be “shadow boxing in the corner.” 

He said he was trying to comfort the family and did not intend to cause any distress. 

The inquest heard that despite her health deteriorating steadily over two days in UHL, Ms Cusack was only in ICU for less than 20 minutes.

She was in ICU before being taken to theatre where she went into cardiac arrest. 

Medical professionals carried out CPR and attempted to resuscitate the young woman, but her death was declared after 45 minutes, at 7.39pm on February 18, 2024.  

She died one day after being told that she had lost an IVF pregnancy, as she was five weeks and one day pregnant when she first presented to University Maternity Hospital Limerick - just three days before she died. 

Leona Cusack (nee Kirwan), is survived by her husband Conor, parents Clare and Eamonn and sisters Rachael and Sarah. 

Up to 20 family members attended the Limerick Coroner’s Court for the two-day inquest in Kilmallock, which was at times so upsetting for family members that they had to leave the courtroom. 

There were 19 witnesses listed for the inquest. 

May she rest in peace.