A YOUNG woman has died of a fatal blood clot, only two months after being given the all-clear from the threat of deep vein thrombosis.
Karen Johnstone, 28, who was first diagnosed as suffering from DVT four years ago, died on the way to hospital on Saturday of a pulmonary thrombo-embolism - a blood clot - after collapsing in the bathroom of her parents' home in Aberdeenshire.
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sterday, as the health authorities defended Ms Johnstone's care, her mother, Kathy, called for an explanation from the NHS in the hope that lessons can be learned to prevent another family having to deal with a similar tragedy.
"All I want are some answers," said Mrs Johnstone, 49, at her home in Bremner Way, Kemnay. "How the hell can the NHS say that Karen's care was fine if in March she's clear and in May she's dead?"
Her plea came three days after the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman ordered NHS Grampian to apologise to the family of a woman forced to wait in a chair for eight hours while suffering from a blood clot which later killed her.
Mrs Johnstone claimed yesterday that her daughter began suffering from the effects of DVT four years ago after briefly taking the contraceptive pill.
Mrs Johnstone said: "It absolutely devastated her and completely changed her life. She was on warfarin all the time to thin her blood and she had to go for blood tests all the time. Two years ago she nearly died after a clot went to her lungs, but the doctors at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary managed to save her."
But two months ago, Karen had been elated after she went for a check-up at the hospital's haematology department.
Her mother said: "Karen went to the hospital on 20 March and the hospital told her she was clear. She went to the hospital with her brother Andrew and he said that she came out of the hospital screaming: 'Hooray, that's me, I'm clear - no clots any more.' She was hugging her brother."
However, Karen began complaining of a pain in her knee and suffering from breathlessness. And on Saturday, while her mother was at work, she collapsed at the family home.
Her father, Norman, raised the alarm, but medical staff were unable to save her.
Karen's death was attributed to a pulmonary thrombo- embolism - a fatal blood clot caused by deep vein thrombosis of the legs.
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian said: "NHS Grampian is completely satisfied with the treatment and care given to Karen Johnstone since 2001. We are not aware of any clinical reason to have changed the treatment Karen received.
"We would be happy to discuss their daughter's treatment and care in more detail with the family," the spokeswoman added. "We extend our condolences to the family at this difficult time."
