A woman who fell desperately ill at home in less than an hour died a week later in hospital, an inquest heard.

Maria Lopes, 31, of Northfield Road, Cobham, told her husband Riu that she had pain in her back at 10am on September 1, 2012 and he immediately called the ambulance as she had seemed well just an hour before.

The operator told Mr Lopes his wife did not need to be taken to hospital by ambulance and suggested she visit her GP.

Mrs Lopes had suffered serious pain and renal colic (kidney pain) previously while living in Portugal so Mr Lopes drove his wife to the accident and emergency department at Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford.

Doctors believed Mrs Lopes had kidney stones and she was admitted to hospital and told they should pass within 48 hours.

The following evening, Mr Lopes said his wife was complaining about a very bad headache in addition to the back pain and throughout the week, he did not see any progress in her condition.

Yesterday Dr Justin Kirk-Bailey told Woking Coroners Court she had five signs of organ failure including high lactate levels and an elevated respiratory and was moved to intensive care later that day.

Dr Kirk-Bailey told that on September 3 he believed there was a 40 to 50 per cent chance she would die.

He added: "I thought she was unwell and deteriorating to the point she would need to come to intensive care.”

Dr Catriona Chalmers also told the court her concerns about Mrs Lopes’ health but said did not think she was going to die.

She said: “I have dealt with some unwell and septic patients and I believed she was septic.”

Mrs Lopes was put onto a ventilator in intensive care and Dr Chalmers said the next time she saw her she was “stably unwell”.

The day before she died, Dr Chalmers said she appeared better but her heart rate and temperature were still high and said staff were observing that as everything else had improved.

The inquest continues.

 

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