Inquest into the death of Raeputa Tangatapoto
Deceased
Raeputa Tangatapoto
Demographics
55y, male
Date of death
2024-12-26
Finding date
2026-08-11
Cause of death
Unascertained natural causes
AI-generated summary
A 55-year-old man with chronic treatment-resistant schizophrenia died at Forensic Hospital while lawfully detained on 26 December 2024. He had presented to Prince of Wales Hospital on 17 December with chest pain, tachycardia, and postural hypotension; investigations including CT pulmonary angiogram and echocardiogram were normal, and symptoms resolved with intravenous therapy. He was returned to Forensic Hospital. On 25 December, he collapsed with chest pain, vomited, and lost consciousness. Immediate resuscitation was initiated and paramedics attended, with one hour of advanced life support including defibrillation and mechanical chest compression, but he could not be revived. Post-mortem external examination identified coronary artery calcification, hiatus hernia, and a potentially toxic clozapine level (though interpretation was limited without internal examination). The coroner found the cause of death could not be ascertained but most likely represented natural causes. The investigation identified no evidence of inadequate care or clinical management errors.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- Coronary artery calcification
- Potentially elevated clozapine level
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