DOCTORS UNABLE TO SAVE CHRIS, 56
Man got sepsis after injecting himself
LONG-TERM drug user Christopher Eagles died from sepsis after getting an infection from injecting himself.
The 56-year-old was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital, above, after developing breathing difficulties at his home in North Road, Cobridge.
An inquest heard his organs began to fail and doctors were unable to save him.
He suffered from severe back pain which saw him hospitalised on November 24 last year. He was prescribed medication to help with the pain and discharged.
His partner Julie Zyg said in a statement that Mr Eagles was using heroin, and she believed he was taking other medication he had bought on the street.
On November 26 she woke up to find him unwell.
The statement continued: “He was still using heroin and he was also using tablets he got off the street.
“When I woke up Chris was in pain. His breathing was bad and he was wheezing so I called 999 and an ambulance came and took him to hospital.”
The inquest heard Mr Eagles’ condition was investigated and he was deemed unsuitable for intensive care treatment because he had multi-organ failure. He died later that day.
Tests showed he had a number of drugs in his system. A pathologist concluded he died from sepsis and the source of the infection was likely to be an injection site related to his intravenous d drug use. Hi His h heart and lungs were infected and he also had hepatitis B and C, which were ruled to have contributed to his death, along with his drug use.
Assistant coroner Sarah Murphy concluded that Mr Eagles died from complications of intravenous drug use.
She said: “The deceased was a known heroin user. He was admitted to hospital on November 26 with breathing difficulties and a fast heart rate.
“He underwent investigations which revealed evidence of intravenous drug use. He was found to be suffering from sepsis and endocarditis.
“He was not suitable for intensive care treatment because he had multi-organ failure. He continued to deteriorate and died.”