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Newthorpe woman could have survived
A NEWTHORPE woman who died from an asthma attack only hours after starting a holiday, would have survived if emergency services had been called sooner.
Carolyn Birch, 44, of Wyvern Close, collapsed in the arms of husband Martin on the day they arrived at a hotel in Marmaris, Turkey.
Mr Birch told an inquest of his repeated attempts to get the hotel’s receptionist to call an ambulance. It took 55 minutes for paramedics to arrive, the inquest heard.
“I rang reception and said it was an emergency. As I put the phone down her breathing got worse,” said Mr Birch.
“I rang the receptionist again and she said a doctor and ambulance had been called and were on their way.”
As his wife got even worse, Mr Birch ran down to reception and again asked the receptionist to ring for an ambulance.
He said she began to panic and ran into the back office before returning with number written on a note, which she attempted to dial.
Mr Birch returned to his hotel room where he and his friend, a trained firefighter, performed CPR on Mrs Birch for around 20 minutes until emergency services arrived.
He said: “If the receptionist called when I asked her to, a doctor or paramedic would have arrived within minutes – especially as there was a medical centre across the road.”
Consultant pathologist Dr Stephen Kaye said: “If emergency services had arrived before she became unconscious, it is probable she would have survived.”
Thomas Cook who the holiday was booked with said the hotel had told it that the emergency call had been made a priority.
Speaking a day after the incident, the hotel’s front office manager, Selami Korkut, said: “They checked into their room and within minutes Mr Birch phoned reception to say his wife was having an asthma attack.“
A post-mortem examination found it was most likely she had died of an acute asthma attack, with emphysema a possible contributory factor.
Recording a narrative verdict, Assistant Deputy Coroner for Nottinghamshire Stephanie Haskey said: “Carolyn died as a result of an acute asthma attack and it is probable that had emergency medical services arrived before Carolyn lost consciousness, her death would have been avoided.”
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Friday 25 May 2012
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