A North East hospital has been criticised after a drug combination turned toxic in the days before the death of a 60-year-old patient. Darlington Memorial Hospital has been slammed in a coroner's report following the death of 60-year-old Gillian Peacock, from Bishop Auckland. Ms Peacock, a mother of two, was admitted to the hospital in late February 2023, for treatment for a chest infection - but nine days later, she died, with toxic levels of a prescription drug in her system.
As well as her chest infection, Ms Peacock suffered from a number of preexisting health conditions, including atrial fibrillation, for which she was prescribed digoxin. When she was put on another drug, clarithromycin, the pharmacist noted that the use of these two drugs together can cause digoxin toxicity. The pharmacist advised that an alternative drug was used, or staff monitored her, but none of this was undertaken until March 7, when tests showed she had elevated digoxin levels.
Though Ms Peacock has shown no symptoms, and her digoxin was withheld, she suffered a cardiac arrest the morning (March 8) and died. An inquest, heard by James Thompson, the coroner for County Durham and Darlington, heard that a post-mortem examination could not ascertain a cause of death. The medical evidence cannot on the balance of probabilities determine the contribution of digoxin & clarithomycin to her death.
Though the coroner was unable to conclude that digoxin & clarithomycin contributed to her death on the balanc.