A young Dublin man, who suffered a brain injury from a fall while out running to raise funds for a charity, died just over 48 hours later after a sudden deterioration in his condition, an inquest has heard.
Conor Cronin (26) hit his head during an unwitnessed fall while out jogging near Dublin City University on Ballymun Road around lunchtime on November 4th, 2020.
The cybersecurity analyst from Walnut Avenue in Drumcondra had been running as a team leader for his workplace, Edgescan, in aid of the men’s health charity, Movember.
An inquest at Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Wednesday heard Mr Cronin died in Beaumont Hospital on November 6th, 2020 following unsuccessful emergency surgery to reduce extreme levels of pressure on his brain.
It was also informed that Conor’s family had agreed to donate his organs, as he would have wanted, which had benefited five other patients.
Delay in transfer
Solicitor for Mr Cronin’s family, Jamie Hart, said the deceased’s relatives were concerned there had been a delay in transferring him to Beaumont from the Mater Misericordiae Hospital where he was originally brought after suffering the fall.
However, a consultant neurosurgeon at Beaumont, Ciarán Bolger, said he believed the time of transfer between the two hospitals had made “no difference” as Mr Cronin had already been receiving maximum therapy after his pupils became fixed and dilated without any positive response.
Prof Bolger, who had been consulting with colleagues in the Mater about the patient, said there had been no significant changes in two CT scans that had been conducted on Mr Cronin on the day he suffered the fall.
Tests showed he had some bruising of the brain and a skull fracture.
Prof Bolger said Conor was classified with Category 2 injuries which were not deemed to require surgery and would be managed conservatively.
However, he said the patient had become unresponsive the following day after which he was transferred to the Mater’s intensive care unit where his condition stabilised.
The inquest heard that there was an agreement that an urgent transfer of the patient to Beaumont was required for better monitoring.
The situation was upgraded to an emergency transfer after there was a further significant deterioration in Conor’s condition.
Prof Bolger told coroner Clare Keane that Conor had received treatment about the usual level for a Category 2 patient.
He said only 2 per cent of Category 2 patients ever needed neurosurgery, while only 20 per cent of those with more traumatic head injuries classified as Category 3 would ever need surgery.
'Very unusual'
He observed that the condition of patients with mild head injuries very rarely deteriorated but Conor’s case was “very unusual.”
“It was extremely unfortunate as there was no indication from the original injury that Conor would ever need neurosurgery,” he added.
Prof Bolger said he could not explain why it happened but there were some types of swelling of the brain which could not be reversed.
The inquiry heard that the low sodium levels were recorded in the patient which Prof Bolger acknowledged could affect swelling of the brain.
However, he said he was unable to judge its significance in Conor’s case, before adding: “It certainly did not help.”
He described the death of Mr Cronin as “particularly tragic.” “It affected all of us,” Prof Bolger remarked.
He told the inquest that it was a death known as “talk and die” syndrome whereby someone with a relatively minor head injury, who appears to be fine, dies suddenly.
In reply to questions from Mr Hart, he said 12 calls made between the two hospitals about Conor’s care was unusual for a Category 2 patient.
While he agreed that staff at the Mater seemed anxious to get the patient transferred to Beaumont, Prof Bolger said that was true for all hospitals with patients with brain injuries.
The inquest also heard from several doctors at the Mater that Mr Cronin had been given glucose for his diabetes which could reduce sodium levels in his body.
The deceased’s brother, Ciarán Cronin, told Dr Keane that his late brother was in extremely good condition, despite being diagnosed with diabetes as a child, and was always working out and exercising.
The witness said he travelled to the Mater and got to speak to his brother for 10 minutes before he was admitted to the emergency department after being alerted about the fall by a paramedic.
Mr Cronin said his brother had a lot of blood around his head and was confused but had recognised him.
He said he was still not overly concerned when he was later informed that Conor was being transferred to the hospital’s high dependency unit.
Mr Cronin said he went into work the following day as he did not believe his brother was “in a life or death situation.”
However, he told the hearing that he was contacted just after 11am to be informed that Conor had been intubated and ventilated and was due to be transferred to Beaumont.
Mr Cronin said he was later notified that his brother required emergency surgery as his condition was “extremely grave.”
The inquest heard surgeons had removed a large piece of the deceased’s skull in order to reduce pressure on his brain but it had no impact.
'Lovely person'
Mr Cronin described his brother as “great fun and a lovely person” who had a girlfriend and was enjoying his job.
“He was so much fun and was just getting into the prime of his life,” he added.
“It’s so sad that this happened,” he remarked.
In reply to questions from the coroner, Mr Cronin said his brother was a bit annoyed with himself over the fall.
The person who discovered the deceased after his fall, Denise Clarke, said blood had been coming from his ear and he appeared unconscious although he soon came around.
Ms Clarke said she did not think he had been lying on the ground for long as it was a busy road but he was “shaking” when she found him.
The inquest was attended by a large group of Mr Cronin’s family and friends including his long-term girlfriend, Eavan Atkinson.
The hearing was adjourned and will resume on Thursday.
