The family of a 26-yr-old man who died two days after he was discharged from the emergency department of University Hospital Galway has settled a High Court action over his death.
The man had attended the hospital’s A&E complaining of shortness of breath and chest pain on 18 January 2024, reports Breaking News.
Henrique Coelho, who was from Portugal but lived in Claregalway, Co Galway, died on 20 January 2024.
The family’s counsel told the court it was “a very, very tragic case,” reports Breaking News.
He said Henrique Coelho had attended the emergency department on 18 January complaining of shortness of breath and chest pain for three days.
The next day, on 19 January, he was reviewed by an A&E doctor and bloods and X-rays were carried out, reports Breaking News.
It was claimed that despite his right calf being allegedly bigger than his left and an ECG which was allegedly grossly abnormal, a lower respiratory tract infection was diagnosed and Mr Coelho was discharged.
In the early hours of 20 January, Mr Coelho became acutely short of breath and deteriorated at his mother’s home in Galway, reports Breaking News.
He was brought to hospital by ambulance, collapsed in the ambulance and was in cardiac arrest, with attempts made to resuscitate him but proving unsuccessful.
A post-mortem later showed that Mr Coelho had died due to a pulmonary thromboembolism as a result of deep vein thrombosis, which is a blood clot, reports Breaking News.
Mr Coelho’s mother, counsel said, is absolutely devastated by the death of her son.
The man’s family stood up in court with photographs of the 26-year-old as the ruling of the settlement took place, reports Breaking News.
Mr Coelho’s mother, Silva Milena Gamelas, had sued the HSE over the death of her son.
In the proceedings, it was claimed there was an alleged failure to identify calf swelling, an alleged failure to identify a classic sign of deep vein thrombosis, and an alleged failure to diagnose and treat adequately or at all the chest pain, resulting in a situation where Mr Coelho suffered a massive pulmonary embolism, reports Breaking News.
Noting the settlement, Judge Paul Coffey extended his deepest sympathy to Mr Coelho’s mother and wider family.
Outside court, Mr Coelho’s mother said her son was very special and her best friend, reports Breaking News.
“He was generous. He was a giver, a carer. My son was my life,” she said.
She said she had lived in Ireland for six years, but when she lost her son, she lost everything.
“What we had was more than mother and son. We were best friends,” she said, reports Breaking News.
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