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Erin Patterson ‘didn’t look unwell’ like Ian and Heather Wilkinson: nurse
Adriana Mageros
Nurse Cindy Munro has told a court Erin Patterson “didn’t look unwell” compared to Ian and Heather Wilkinson when she re-presented to Leongatha Hospital.
The court earlier heard Ms Patterson returned to Leongatha Hospital for a second time on July 31, sometime before 10am, after earlier discharging herself against medical advice.
Under cross-examination by defence barrister Colin Mandy SC, Ms Munro was asked how Ms Patterson appeared to her when she was in hospital.
“She didn’t look unwell like Heather and Ian,” Ms Munro said.
“I remember Ian being so unwell he could barely lift his head from his pillow… but Erin was sitting up in the bed in the trolley, and she didn’t look unwell to me.”
There was then a conversation about cannulating Ms Patterson to give her IV fluids and special liver protecting medication, NAC.
Ms Munro told the court Ms Patterson said to her “multiple times” that she “didn’t want any of this”, regarding the medication, and “did not understand” why she was receiving the treatment.
The court heard Ms Munro then told Ms Patterson she had potentially been exposed to mushroom poisoning, so they were administering NAC to protect her liver while the IV fluids would assist with her “gastro symptoms”.
Ms Patterson did allow the medical staff to insert a cannula, the court heard.
Ms Munro was then told Ms Patterson’s children had eaten leftovers of the same meal.
The nurse recalled Ms Patterson saying, “no, no I scraped off all the mushrooms”, adding that her children “were not unwell”.
The nurse mentioned there could have been traces of the mushrooms in the leftovers, and therefore, the children could be unwell and needed urgent treatment in hospital.
Ms Patterson then “became quite teary”, Ms Munro said.
“I did say to her even if she scraped off the mushrooms some of it could have seeped through the meat,” Ms Munro said, adding the children could still be exposed to the mushrooms and the toxins.
Ms Patterson agreed she would “work out something” to bring the children back into hospital, Ms Munro said.