Deceased
Beata Vandeville
Demographics
46y, female
Date of death
2013-01-18
Finding date
2016-11-24
Cause of death
acute mixed drug toxicity due to accidental self-administered drug overdose
AI-generated summary
Dr V., an obstetrician-gynaecologist trainee, died from acute mixed drug toxicity on 18 January 2013 following self-administration of multiple anaesthetic drugs (propofol, midazolam, fentanyl, alfentanil) via intravenous injection. The coroner found her fiancé, anaesthetist Dr K., diverted these restricted substances from hospitals where he worked, providing them to Dr V. who self-administered them. While Dr V. experienced repeated examination failures, stress, and depression during her specialist training, the coroner found no evidence the training program directly contributed to her death and ruled out intentional self-harm. Clinical lessons include the need for vigilant monitoring of restricted drug storage in hospitals, recognition that medical practitioners struggling with mental health may be at risk of substance misuse, and the importance of early intervention when colleagues show signs of psychological distress.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Procedures
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