Deceased
Edna Beryl Whalen
Demographics
89y, female
Date of death
2007-02-01
Finding date
2014-12-05
Cause of death
Pulmonary embolism due to deep venous thrombosis
AI-generated summary
Edna Beryl Whalen, aged 89, died from pulmonary embolism secondary to deep vein thrombosis following delayed diagnosis of a femoral neck fracture. She fell on 8 January 2007 at an aged care facility and reported hip pain, but the fracture was not diagnosed until 31 January 2007—a 23-day delay. The coroner found Dr D.-Mustapha's initial ED assessment was inadequate; she failed to order hip X-rays despite a clear history of fall with hip pain, mobility loss, and inability to weight bear. The coroner was critical of her detailed physical examination account, delivered only at the fresh inquest, finding it 'recent invention'. A timely X-ray would likely have identified the fracture, allowing earlier surgery and reducing thromboembolism risk. The coroner emphasised that clinical judgment requires confirmatory imaging and that radiological testing should not be deferred based on examination alone.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Clinical conditions
Procedures
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