Deceased
Lesley Maree Smith
Demographics
47y, female
Coroner
Chief Coroner Lorraine Walker
Date of death
2013-05-09
Finding date
2017-09-11
Cause of death
Sudden Unexpected Death in Alcohol Misuse (SUDAM)
AI-generated summary
Lesley Maree Smith, 47, died at home on 9 May 2013 from Sudden Unexpected Death in Alcohol Misuse (SUDAM). She had chronic alcohol misuse (2 bottles nightly) and was prescribed diazepam by her GP, Dr Helmy, starting April 2013 for alcohol withdrawal symptoms without specialist addiction training or formal guidelines. Autopsy revealed alcoholic liver disease with fatty infiltration. While expert evidence excluded direct medication toxicity or cardiac disease as causes, the coroner identified clinical concerns: Dr Helmy prescribed sedatives to an alcohol-dependent patient without specialist referral, without explicit warnings about sedation or drug interactions, and without baseline liver function testing or documented withdrawal protocols. The coroner did not attribute death to medication but recommended RACGP review treatment guidelines for substance use disorders in general practice and baseline blood testing before commencing treatment.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
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