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Mother died after epidural 'was injected into her arm instead of her spine'
Last updated at 23:52pm on 08.01.08
Mayra Cabrera suffered a heart attack after an epidural anaesthetic was pumped into her arm
And in a cruel twist, Mayra Cabrera's husband is facing deportation - because his wife is no longer working.
Mrs Cabrera, 30, moved from the Philippines in 2002, to begin work as a theatre nurse at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon.
Her husband Arnel followed a year later and found work at the same hospital.
He was granted a visa until February this year on the condition of his wife's work.
The couple were thrilled to discover Mrs Cabrera was pregnant.
But when she went into labour on May 11, 2004, something went terribly wrong.
Mrs Cabrera was given an epidural anaesthetic, but the drip was wrongly connected to a line into her right arm, intended for a painkiller or saline solution, the inquest heard.
Her baby, Zac, was delivered with forceps at 8.14am. But by 9am Mrs Cabrera was feeling dizzy.
She began to fit and had heart attack, dying hours later.
Coroner David Masters said: "In the early stages of the resuscitation a bag of Bupivacaine for epidural was found to have been set up and attached to the patient's right hand.
"Dr Benedict Maxwell directed that the bag be detached immediately.
"He did not consider at that time that this was relevant to the death but the present diagnosis was an amniotic fluid embolism."
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Arnel Cabrera with a picture of his son Zachary. Zachary's mother died just hours after his birth
However, a post-mortem examination revealed that she had died from a toxic dose of the epidural anaesthetic.
The coroner said experts found two other women had died in UK hospitals in the last decade as a result of the same mistake with Bupivacaine.
Mr Cabrera left the country two weeks after his wife's death so that relatives could help care for Zac.
He was too unwell to attend the inquest, but in a statement read to the jury, said he had believed his wife died from natural causes.
It was only in July 2005 that he was told there had been a clinical error.
Describing the birth, he said he took his son in his arms, while his wife talked and "seemed well".
"I was sat in the chair about an hour after when she suffered a fit. I knew something had gone wrong.
"The room was filled with medical staff and the crash team started to work on her.
"I don't think they were aware I was still in the room, I was still sat in the chair with Zac."
Initially he was told his wife had died because of a rare embolism.
But describing the moment he learned of the error, he said: "I was very angry I had been lied to for so long about how my wife had died.
"We both came to the UK to start a new life. The person who gave Mayra that drug robbed me of my family."
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Zachary Cabrera, who will never know his mother
Mr Cabrera, 38, returned to the UK for the inquest and to launch a civil claim for damages, but will have to leave when it ends.
In a statement his solicitors, SJ Edney, said: "For medical reasons, he will be unable to attend the inquest.
"On a separate note, which simply adds to the travesty of justice in this case, Mr Cabrera will be expelled from the UK once the inquest has been concluded.
"An application to the Home Office for permission for him and his son to be given leave to stay indefinitely in this country has been refused.
"He has only been allowed to remain pending the hearing of the inquest. The only reason why he finds himself in this situation is because of the admitted negligence of the hospital."
The coroner told the inquest in Trowbridge: "Frankly, I believe he has been placed in a most extraordinary situation by our Government in that he has been deported, as of February 28.
"It is a situation that I have some difficulty in appreciating given the circumstances."
Swindon & Marlborough NHS Trust has admitted full liability.
A police investigation and Health Safety Executive inquiry were launched, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge anyone.
The inquest continues.
