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A North Wales mum whose daughter died when her
"alarm clock" was triggered, yesterday won her five-year battle for a new
inquest.
Nurse Lisa Browne suffered Long QT Syndrome - but
it was only discovered after an inquest, which recorded an open verdict.
Experts said then they could not find a
reason why she died in January 1998 - but tests by Swedish geneticists later
showed she had the genetic electrical abnormality in her heart.
Lisa's sister Rachel was also diagnosed with the
defect after she had tests and had surgery to fit a pacemaker, called an
ICD. Three years ago she was asleep when son Adam woke up screaming
and the sudden noise caused Rachel's heart to stop. The ICD kick
started her heart.
And Adam was also diagnosed with the disorder
while other family members carry the gene.
Lisa's parents, Terrence and Doreen Harley, of
Halkyn View, Connah's Quay, Deeside, say it is in the public interest for a
fresh inquest to be called.
Doreen, a regional representative for the charity
Cardiac risk in the Young (CRY), set up screening sessions in Flintshire for
young people. Out of 79 tested, seven were found to have cardiac problems
they were not aware of.
Mrs Harley previously said: "Neither of us could
ever accept that she died for no reason.
"Finally, to put everything in place we need a
death certificate showing the new cause of death. It is definitely the
case that she had Long QT Syndrome and she died when her alarm clock went
off."
Yesterday at London's High Court Mrs Justice
Hallett and Mr Justice Nelson ordered coroner Nicholas Rheinberg to hold a
new inquest into the death of Lisa, a paediatric nurse at the Countess of
Chester Hospital.
In written submissions to the judges, barrister
Keith Morton said 27-year-old Mrs Browne was prescribed a drug to counter
depression when her Long QT Syndrome was misdiagnosed, and it could have
exacerbated her condition.
He added that it was previously believed that Long
QT Syndrome could not be diagnosed following death, but as a result of Mrs
Browne's case, that is no longer true.
The barrister argued both points raised matters of
'public importance.'
Mr Morton said relatives of other Long QT Syndrome
victims could benefit from "post mortem diagnosis" as they too could have
the disease.
And he added that, if doctors knew the dangers of
prescribing drugs that could have a detrimental effect on Long QT Syndrome
sufferers, lives could be saved.
No date was set for the new inquest which will
take place in front of Chester coroner Mr Rheinberg.
The court heard Mrs Browne suffered stomach
cramps, throat infections, bowel pains and other complaints but Long QT
Syndrome was never diagnosed while she was alive.
Read more about Long QT
Syndrome
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