ER nurse knew senior was dying, inquest hears

An emergency room nurse who saw 78-year-old Lillian Mullin hours before her death knew she wouldn't survive much longer, a coroner's inquest heard Friday.

Mullin died at the Saint John Regional Hospital last Feb. 14, one day after being sent home fromthe same hospital'semergency roomwith what doctors believed was the flu.

Nurse Susan DeLong testified at the inquest on Friday that she saw Mullin on the elderly woman's second visit to the hospital. She said Mullin was lying on a stretcher, moaning and pale, with cold hands and feet. She said she looked at the person standing next to Mullin and said, "Your mother is gravely ill."

DeLong, who has 30 years ofexperience as a nurse, told the inquest she knew Mullin would die soon.

Mullin first went to the hospital on Feb. 13, complaining of diarrhea and severe stomach cramps.

On Thursday, the inquest heard that the doctor who saw Mullin diagnosed her with the flu, prescribed Gravol and fluids and sent her home.

The doctor also said the hospital ER was in a "code orange" situation, which means the ward was over-capacity, with no beds available. He compared conditions to a "zoo," with too many patients and too few medical personnel to see them. He said, however, that should not have affected the quality of care Mullin received.

Mullin returned to ER the next day complaining of the same symptoms.Her daughter saysMullinwaited six hours to see a doctor, and died an hour later. A CT scan of Mullin's abdomen revealed a massive bowel infection.

Hospital lawyer John Barrytold reportersthat staff have admitted that Mullin should not have been sent home the day before she died.

Barry added, however,thatan independent coroner's report ruled Mullin died of an ischemic bowel — a condition where the bowel stopped functioning entirely —which was apre-existing condition that she was too ill to have surgery for, and could not have survived.

The inquest will hear evidence about Mullin's death until next Friday.The purpose of the inquest is not to assign blame, but to come up with a list of recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.