<\/p>\n
Raymond Thurlow attending the coronial inquest into his wife Sheila’s death. (ABC News: Erin Byrnes)<\/p>\n
Nurse wasn’t given correct instructions, inquest hears<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the inquest heard evidence from the Registered Nurse (RN) who drew up the dose.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Heather Briggs told the coroners court she had never taken part in the type of operation Ms Thurlow was scheduled to undergo that day.<\/p>\n
She told the court she did not recall receiving any verbal orders for a microgram dose of morphine.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ms Briggs drew the morphine from an ampoule of 5ml containing 100 milligrams of the drug. (Supplied: Coroners Court of Queensland)<\/p>\n
Once the surgery had begun, the court heard Ms Briggs drew the morphine from an ampoule of 5ml containing 100 milligrams of the drug.<\/p>\n
She told the inquest she labelled the syringe and placed it in a kidney dish.<\/p>\n
When it was requested, Ms Briggs said she handed the syringe to Dr Navid Amirabadi and said the words ‘100 milligrams of morphine’ out loud.<\/p>\n
She told the inquest she did not hear a response from the doctor, despite it being standard practice to receive one.<\/p>\n
Asked if she found that concerning, Ms Briggs said: “not then.”<\/p>\n
She told the inquest she was “surprised” when the syringe was returned to the scrub trolley empty.<\/p>\n
“I just assumed they knew what they were doing,” Ms Briggs said.<\/p>\n
Sheila Thurlow’s family have spoken of their grief at losing a beloved wife, mother and grandmother. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Mistakes made in operating room<\/p>\n
During a second surgery later that morning, the operating room received a phone call from the ICU informing them Ms Thurlow was in respiratory distress.<\/p>\n
Ms Briggs said she remembered saying: “Well, she had 100 milligrams of morphine.”<\/p>\n
When asked by anaesthetist Dr Richard Galluzzo whether she meant micrograms, Ms Briggs told the court she’d responded: “No, milligrams. I told you, I kept telling you.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sheila Thurlow’s death has left a void in her family that feels impossible to fill, her husband has said. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
Ms Briggs accepted there had been communication errors in the operating room.<\/p>\n
She spoke directly to Ms Thurlow’s family before leaving the court, apologising for her role in the “episode”.<\/p>\n
“No one’s asked me how sorry I am for my role in this episode. It’s just terrible and I’m so sorry,” she said.Doctor no longer working at hospital<\/p>\n
Clinical Services Director for Ramsay Health Care Dr Bernadette Eather also addressed the coroners court on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr Eather told Ms Thurlow’s family she “was deeply sorry for the loss of their “beautiful wife, mother and grandmother”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She told the inquest that particular operation was no longer being performed at the facility after an incident investigation following Ms Thurlow’s death recommended it be stopped immediately.<\/p>\n
She said Dr Amirabadi no longer had the credentials required to work at the hospital.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sheila Thurlow, pictured with her grandchildren. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
The inquest also heard from an expert witness, specialist anaesthetist Professor Phillipa Hore.<\/p>\n