Woman died after four cardiac arrests

YOUNG woman suffered four cardiac arrests and died days after a night out with friends, an inquest has heard.

Sarah Jayne Eggar, 31, died on June 12 last year at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

Yesterday Pontypridd Coroners’ Court heard how Ms Eggar, of Heol Trelai, Ely, Cardiff, had started to feel unwell at her parents’ home the day after a night out with friends on June 8.

In a statement read at the inquest, Ms Eggar’s mother Lesley Eggar said her daughter had originally said she felt “horrible”, but appeared to feel better after a night in “reminiscing” and laughing with family. But after trying to book a GP appointment the following day an ambulance was called and Ms Eggar was taken to the University Hospital of Wales.

Giving evidence consultant pathologist Dr David Thomas said Ms Eggar had a heart rate of 230 beats per minute when she was admitted to hospital compared to a healthy rate of between 60 and 80.

On June 11 it was heard Ms Eggar was admitted to intensive care where she suffered a cardiac arrest. The decision was made for a specialist team to travel to Cardiff from the Royal Brompton Hospital in London but Ms Eggar went on to suffer further cardiac arrests before they arrived.

Ms Eggar was put on a heart machine to provide life support but her condition continued to deteriorate. The decision was made to stop treatment and she died surrounded by family in the early hours of June 12.

A subsequent post-mortem found Ms Eggar’s heart was of regular appearance and weight.

In a statement read during the hearing Ely GP Joanna Richards said Ms Eggar had been found to have an increased heart rate from as early as 2014 after attending hospital for unrelated reasons.

In 2018 she was prescribed Ivabradine

medication twice a day to lower her heart rate, but it was heard she was “not very good” at following a medication routine and had not repeated her prescription since April 2019.

Giving a cause of death as sudden sudden arrhythmic death syndrome, Dr Thomas said on the balance of probabilities Ms Eggar’s underlying heart problems contributed to her cardiac arrests. Assistant coroner Aled Gruffydd accepted Dr Thomas findings recorded a conclusion of death by natural causes.