Deceased
Jessica Agnes Poulson
Demographics
0y, female
Date of death
2017-04-28
Finding date
2018-11-26
Cause of death
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
AI-generated summary
Jessica Agnes Poulson was a 17-day-old neonate born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a fatal congenital condition requiring emergency surgery unavailable in the Northern Territory. The parents elected palliative care, supported by paediatric consultants who advised allowing natural death. Jessica was admitted to special care and received appropriate comfort care including oral analgesia and intravenous morphine for symptom management. The coroner found care standards were high throughout her short life. Primary challenges involved managing the mother's difficulty accepting Jessica's terminal prognosis and coordinating care between the hospital, Territory Families, and the family. Communication and support efforts by hospital staff and government agencies were extensive. This death was expected and inevitable from diagnosis; all clinical management was appropriate and aligned with family values and expert medical opinion.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Procedures
4y · Male·Haemophilus influenzae septicaemia with superimposed respiratory tract infection
A 4-year-old previously healthy male presented to Katherine Regional Hospital on 10 September 2023 with fever and eye pain. He was examined, found to have tachycardia (HR 156) and fever (39.2°C), and diagnosed with viral…
0y · Male·Trisomy 21 with complex cardiac anomalies complicated by pulmonary hypertension,…
Baby G, born with Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) and complex cardiac anomalies, died at Royal Darwin Hospital on 18 March 2023 aged 6 months. The coroner found that non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) should have been offer…
15y · Female·complications of Batten disease (CLN3)
Damilia Kelly Holmes, a 15-year-old Aboriginal girl, died from complications of Batten disease (CLN3) while in palliative care. She was in out-of-home care under the Territory Families and Housing (TFHC) and was loved an…
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. Some material may have been redacted or restricted by court order or privacy requirements. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction — report an inaccuracy here.