Inquest into the death of SMS
Deceased
SMS
Demographics
14y, female
Date of death
2021-10-11
Finding date
2026-08-10
Cause of death
unascertained natural causes – possibly encephalitis leading to seizure or sudden cardiac death
AI-generated summary
SMS, a 14-year-old previously healthy girl, collapsed unexpectedly at home on 10 October 2021 and was found unresponsive and not breathing. Immediate resuscitation was commenced by family members and emergency services, with return of spontaneous circulation achieved before hospital admission. She was admitted to Nepean Hospital's intensive care unit in profound respiratory acidosis with fixed, dilated pupils indicating severe irreversible brain injury. CT imaging revealed global cerebral ischaemia and loss of grey-white matter. Despite consultation with neurosurgery, no interventions were likely to improve her condition. She died on 11 October 2021 following withdrawal of advanced life support. Post-mortem examination revealed features consistent with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy and possible viral or autoimmune encephalitis, mild pneumonia, and HHV6 DNA. Genetic testing for cardiac channelopathies was negative. The coroner concluded the cause of death could not be ascertained but was natural, possibly resulting from either encephalitis-triggered seizure or sudden cardiac death.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Clinical conditions
Procedures
Contributing factors
- possible encephalitis (viral or autoimmune)
- possible inherited cardiac arrhythmia
- hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy
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