Coroner's warning over dangers of drugs

A coroner has issued a warning about intravenous drug abuse after a warehouseman was admitted to hospital with no fewer than 16 abscesses. on his lungs.
Bolton Coroner's CourtBolton Coroner's Court
Bolton Coroner's Court

Twenty-five year-old Edvinas Kasinas admitted himself to Wigan Infirmary after an injection site in his left forearm became infected, Bolton Coroner’s Court was told.

Other news: More grass fires break out around boroughWithin days his lungs had filled with pus but he recovered to a certain degree and was discussing arrangements for his discharge, an inquest heard.

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But at least one of the abscesses affected his arteries, causing Mr Kasinas, of Swan Lane, Hindley Green, to cough up large amounts of blood, ultimately leading to his death.

Recording a conclusion of drug-related death, area coroner Alan Walsh said: “Unfortunately the use of drugs is dangerous in so many different ways.

“Drugs are dangerous because of the consequences of overdosing, which can cause death.

“But drugs are also dangerous in the manner that they are used, particularly if taken by intravenous routes.”

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Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Asim Rajpura told the inquest Mr Kasinas was treated at the Wigan hospital for an infection to his left forearm, which he admitted had resulted from injecting heroin up to four days earlier.

And while the court heard the infection was treated, he may also have suffered from a similar problem with his groin.

The family of Lithuanian-born Mr Kasinas, who worked at Thermoseal, had been concerned that attempts to use an internal camera probe, may have affected his health.

But Imran Aziz, a consultant respiratory specialist, said the probe was abandoned after it caused Mr Kasinas pain to his throat and he withdrew his consent for the procedure.

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His mother, Ausra Kasinite, said her son appeared to be making a recovery, in hospital, before she was informed he had taken a turn for the worse.

She told the hearing earlier that she had brought her family to the UK when her son was 15 and he had studied computer programming at Southport College.

He had hoped to undertake clerical work, after they relocated to the Wigan area, before he was taken on by Thermoseal.

The inquest heard that his problems with drugs led to him being deported back to Lithuania briefly. But he embarked on a treatment regime there and was allowed back into the country in February last year.

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Rita Wardley. a substance misuse practitioner from Wigan-based drugs charity, confirmed that Mr Kasinas had undergone rehabilitation programmes in 2012, 2013 and 2016, but had relapsed on each occasion.

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