Woman, 28, dies one day after being discharged from hospital with undiagnosed condition
A school teacher has passed away at the age of 28 the day after being sent home from hospital.
On January 12, 2023, Dena Collins passed away at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich, London in the UK.
The 28-year-old is reported as having passed away from a heart attack caused by a blood clot.
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Three days before she passed, Collins reportedly visited her GP and told them she had a pain in her left leg.
Friends and family of the teacher say she had previously Googled her symptoms and side effects of antibiotics she was taking and texted them concerned it was a blood clot, however her GP diagnosed her with muscular pain.
Collins' pain continued and on January 11 she went to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, telling medical professionals she was experiencing shortness of breath, diarrhoea and a fever alongside leg pain which had lasted for four days and had resulted in her using a crutch to move around.
During her preliminary assessment in the triage of the hospital it was queried whether Collins may be suffering from a blood clot, a D-dimer test - used to check if you have a blood clot - reportedly coming back positive.
It's reported Collins saw a total of four doctors during her trip to hospital and ultimately ended up being told she may have a possible ruptured cyst, before the teacher was then sent home and told to return to hospital for a scan the following day.
However, the next morning she collapsed, her father forced to administer CPR before an ambulance came and took her to hospital, but a few hours later she passed away.
Despite seeing four doctors at the hospital and ultimately being told she may have a ruptured cyst, a serious incident report written by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust states Collins was found to have undiagnosed deep vein thrombosis.
Deep vein thrombosis 'occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body, usually in the legs,' Mayo Clinic notes.
The report states the deep vein thrombosis is what ultimately led to Collins' heart attack.
The report reflects on Collins' shortness of breath, leg pain, recent illness and taking of the combined contraceptive pill as being multiple 'missed red flags' by medical professionals - including her GP and those who saw her at the hospital.
The reports notes 'had the DVT been diagnosed earlier and she received anticoagulation her outcome may have been different,' however, it added despite 'some missed red flags' it is 'unlikely' the heart attack would've 'been preventable'.
However, Collins' sister told PA News Agency her sister 'knew she had a clot' and 'nobody listened to her' and she 'just trusted that they had ruled out the life threatening'.
"She should have been given that [blood] thinner, and I strongly believe she would have been here," she added.
Blood thinners - also known as anticoagulants - 'help prevent blood clots from getting bigger' and 'reduce the risk of developing more clots,' Mayo Clinic explains.
Collins' sister argued the teacher was 'young fit and healthy' and while she 'cannot 100 percent say that the thinner would have saved her' but 'she was never given the chance' which is why the family has gone to court.
She resolved: "They neglected to give her something that could have potentially have saved her, and we believe she could have been saved.”
A Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust spokesperson told UNILAD: "We are truly saddened by Dena’s death and recognise the devastating and lasting impact this has on her family and friends. Following Dena’s death, we undertook a full and through review of her care, which has been shared with her family. It is very difficult for us to comment any further ahead of the recently adjourned Coroner’s Inquest, but we continue to offer the Collins’ family our sincere condolences and are here to offer any support they may need."
Poppy Bilderbeck