Mum suffering severe bloating died hours after ‘allergic reaction to a routine CT scan’
A MUM suffering severe bloating died after she had a suspected allergic reaction to a CT scan.
Yvonne Graham, 66, went into cardiac arrest minutes after medics at Northampton General Hospital injected dye – called contrast medium – ahead of a scan to investigate a bloated stomach.
Two hours later retired-butcher Yvonne died after suffering a cardiac arrest, leaving her family devastated.
Her daughter Yolanda, 39, believes her mum shouldn’t have been given the dye because Yvonne suffered from stage three kidney disease.
She also thinks her Yvonne would have survived if there had been an EpiPen in the scan room.
The NHS website advises patients to tell their hospital if they have kidney or thyroid problems ahead of a scan.
The use of contrast dye can be necessary to enhance tests like CT scans and MRIs, but sometimes they may lead to kidney problems or cause problems in patients who already have kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
Yolanda, a hairdresser from Daventry, Northamptonshire, said: “It’s just such a shock. It doesn’t feel real. I still can’t get my head around it.
“Online it says you shouldn’t have the dye if you have kidney disease.
“It all happened so quickly.
“I heard her make a heaving noise like she was sick, then a doctor came out and was asking me her medical history – he was writing it on his hand.
“Surely they should have read her notes before injecting her – it’s just bad practice.
“There was no protocol. It’s ridiculous not to have an EpiPen or a crash trolley in the room.”
Yvonne – who had arthritis, asthma, and was taking medication for high blood pressure – was suffering bloating and was referred for the CT scan by her GP.
She went to hospital for the CT scan, at 5pm on February 1, 2024.
Yvonne had seemed strong going into the scan room, and was looking forward to booked holidays and quadbiking trips with her family, Yolanda said.
“The hospital say they went through a risk form with her just before and she signed it,” she said.
“But it happened in moments – I don’t see how there was enough time for them to have done that.”
Yolanda was waiting outside the CT scan room and said minutes after Yvonne was taken inside, the doors were flung open and a crash team rushed in.
The autopsy report said Yvonne was put on a ventilator but after no pulse was found, help was stopped because “the prognosis at this stage would be extremely poor”.
Yolanda phoned her siblings and Yvonne was moved to a critical care unit, still on a ventilator.
Some of her children were able to say their goodbyes around 7pm, shortly before she passed away.
Rare reactions to contrasts dyes
There are two rare but serious disorders associated with contrast dyes and the kidneys:
- Contrast induced nephropathy (CIN)
- Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF)
CIN is a rare disorder and occurs when kidney problems are caused by the use of certain contrast dyes. It can cause a sharp decrease in kidney function over a period of 48 to 72 hours.
The symptoms can be similar to those of kidney disease, which include feeling more tired, poor appetite, swelling in the feet and ankles, puffiness around the eyes, or dry and itchy skin.
In many cases, CIN is reversible and people can recover.
However, in some cases, CIN can lead to more serious kidney problems and possible heart and blood vessel problems.
In most cases contrast dyes used in tests, such as CT scans and angiograms, have no reported problems, with about 2 per cent of people receiving dyes developing CIN.
However, the risk for CIN can increase for people with diabetes, a history of heart and blood diseases, and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
NSF is a rare but serious disease affecting skin and other organs affecting some patients with advanced CKD after exposure to gadolinium-containing contrast dyes that are used in MRIs.
It affects about 4 percent of patients with advanced CKD. People with acute kidney injury (AKI) are also at higher risk.
NSF has not been reported in people with mild kidney damage or normal kidney function.
NSF can be painful, debilitating, or even fatal.
Symptoms and signs of NSF can include burning and itching of the skin, red or dark patches on the skin, joint stiffness, or muscle weakness.
The disease can develop within 24 hours up to around three months.
Source: National Kidney Foundation
Ten months later the family say they learned from the autopsy report that Yvonne had suffered an anaphylactic reaction to the contrast dye, which is routinely injected into patients before a CT scan.
It says: “The cause of initial cardiac arrest remains unclear. The likelihood was that this was caused by anaphylaxis to contract during the CT scan.
“Unfortunately, an initial tryptase level was not sent to rule out anaphylaxis (requested but not performed).”
A tryptase test can help doctors determine if a severe allergic reaction has occurred, as it measures the level of tryptase, an enzyme found in mast cells that become activated during allergic reactions.
Yolanda said: “I don’t know how this can just happen – you shouldn’t just die from a precautionary scan.
“People need to be told about the risks with this dye.
“It took ten months to get a statement from them about what happened – how can it take so long?
“It’s disgusting. I’m fuming with them.”
CT scan protocol
You may be referred for a CT scan to:
- Check your bones or internal organs after an accident
- Find out if symptoms you’ve been having are caused by a condition, such as cancer
- See how well a treatment is working, such as checking the size of a tumour during and after cancer treatment
- Help doctors see inside your body during a procedure, such as taking a sample of cells or draining an abscess
The hospital where you’re having the CT scan will tell you if there’s anything you need to do before it.
For example, you may be asked to:
- Follow a special diet
- Take certain medicines
- Not eat or drink anything for several hours before the scan (fast)
- Not wear anything that has metal in it, such as jewellery, clothes with zips or poppers, bras or hair clips
Tell the hospital if you:
- Are pregnant or might be pregnant
- Are breastfeeding
- Take any medicines
- Have asthma
- Have kidney or thyroid problems
- Have diabetes
- Have any allergies or have had an allergic reaction to a dye called contrast medium before
Source: NHS
The NHS UK website says: “Complications of a CT scan are rare. Some people can have an allergic reaction to the contrast medium (dye).
“This can cause weakness, sweating and difficulty breathing.”
Julie Hogg, chief nurse at the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire, said: “We offer our sincere condolences to the family of Mrs Graham at this difficult time.
“We have worked with the Coroner at pace to provide all appropriate statements required of us for the forthcoming inquest.
“We acknowledge that we should have improved our communication with Mrs Graham’s family during this time, and we would like to apologise for any additional distress this may have caused them.
“Our team has reached out to the family to offer support ahead of the inquest and update them on the current position”.
A letter from Northamptonshire coroner indicates that the date for the inquest will be set soon.