Coroner's verdict on woman, 42, who died after suffering cardiac arrest in Blackpool Victoria Hospital

A woman died of a lack of oxygen to the brain after suffering a cardiac arrest while under treatment at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

An inquest at Blackpool Town Hall heard that Kerry Lee, 42, had a previous medical history of alcohol dependence and liver cirrhosis.

She was admitted to the hospital late at night on March 5, 2025 after becoming acutely unwell at home with delirium and agitation.

The following morning, she was found unresponsive and resuscitation was begun.

Ms Lee had suffered a cardiac arrest and a return was spontaneous circulation was achieved during the resuscitation.

She was ventilated and admitted to Critical Care, but despite Critical Care and intervention, she suffered from seizures and an MRI scan confirmed a hypoxic brain injury, which occurs when the brain is deprived of adequate oxygen to function normally.

It was decided that there was no reasonable chance of recovery and a decision was made with her family to withdraw sustaining treatment. She died on March 15, 2025.

Her cause of death was given at the inquest as hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury, with associated causes cardiac arrest and cirrhosis of the liver.

Blackpool and Fylde assistant coroner Louise Rae returned a narrative conclusion that Ms Lee died as a consequence of hypoxic brain injury following a cardiac arrest and set against a medical history of liver cirrhosis and alcohol dependence.