Man died in King’s Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital after complications caused by lung biopsy

A man died at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital after complications caused by a lung biopsy.

John Johnson, of Ramnoth Road, Wisbech, died aged 69 on January 14 this year.

A biopsy had been taken after earlier scans revealed shadows in his lungs and lymph nodes.

The biopsy, taken four days before he died, involved inserting a needle into the lungs, the inquest heard on Tuesday.

The biopsy process left Mr Johnson with a leak in his lungs, something the court heard happened in around five to 10% of cases and usually only required monitoring until it cleared up.

However, Mr Johnson’s leak grew and he began to struggle for breath.

He then suffered a tension pneumothorax, more commonly known as a collapsed lung, which occurs when air accumulates between the chest wall and the lung, increasing pressure in the chest and reducing the amount of blood returned to the heart.

Although medication and oxygen helped him recover, further episodes occurred on January 14, the second of which proved fatal, and he died.

The results of the biopsy showed Mr Johnson was suffering with lung cancer. He had been living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for the last three years.

In giving a narrative conclusion, assistant coroner for Norfolk Yvonne Blake said: “Mr Johnson had a lung biopsy on January 10.

“This resulted in a pneumothorax. A chest drain was inserted and Mr Johnson was admitted [to the hospital ward].

“Over the next three days he remained unwell and in pain.

“He declined further investigation, including surgery. He deteriorated twice on January 14.

“He was resuscitated during the first occasion but unfortunately died after the second episode.”

Mr Johnson’s cause of death was given as tension pneumothorax (post-lung biopsy) and non-small cell lung cancer, with secondary causes of COPD and atrial fibrillation, which results in an irregular heartbeat.