A 38-YEAR-OLD motor mechanic died on a hospital operating table after being infected with a rare aggressive flesh eating bug.

Paul Thornley, 38, died at Royal Blackburn Hospital, three days after being admitted to hospital with an infection in his left thigh.

An inquest at Blackburn Registrars’ Office heard how Mr Thornley, of Canterbury Avenue, Blackburn, had struggling with a drug addiction since he was 19.

A statement by Patrick Scott, consultant general surgeon at Royal Blackburn Hospital who treated Mr Thornley, said the infection in his thigh had been caused by injecting drugs into himself.

The inquest heard how this led to him getting cellulitis in his groin and he also had a deep vein thrombosis as well as sepsis.

He was taken into the operating theatre at 3pm on January 12 this year but doctors stopped the operation after they realised the extent of the necrotising fasciitis infection, a rare and aggressive flesh eating bug, and that nothing more could be done.

He died at 4pm on the operating table.

Speaking at the inquest, his mother, Geraldine Thornley, said: “He first got into drugs when he was 19 and his addiction for heroin, he was plagued with it for the rest of his life.”

Dr Richard Prescott, who carried out the post mortem examination, said: “He had some damage to his lungs and his kidneys were swollen which suggest multi-organ failure. He also had evidence of sepsis, cellulitis and wide spread necrotising fasciitis. I also found that he had hepatitis C which would have impaired his liver function and his immunity.”

Coroner Michael Singleton said the cause of death was intravenous drug use which contributed to him contracting hepatitis C which compromised his immune system.

He said the infection caused by injecting the drugs had caused organ failure.

He recorded a verdict of misadventure.

Killer bug

  • It is a bacterial infection caused commonly by group A Strep bacteria, the same bacteria that causes common Strep throat. Sometimes a very strong variety of Strep occurs and is known as the ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria.
  • The bacteria destroys soft tissue.
  • Most often, the bacteria enter the body through a cut. It can also happen following a major trauma or surgery.
  • The bacteria is most commonly transferred by respiratory droplets such as a cough or sneeze.
  • A report estimates from 500 to 1,500 cases per year of necrotising fasciitis of which 20 per cent die.