Coronial
SAhospital

Coroner's Finding: Barry, Margaret Joan

Deceased

Margaret Joan Barry

Demographics

80y, female

Date of death

2019-04-24

Finding date

2021-11-23

Cause of death

Right haemothorax due to bleeding right pleural adhesion with contributing apixaban anticoagulant therapy for atrial fibrillation and aortic valve replacement

AI-generated summary

Margaret Joan Barry, 80, died from right haemothorax due to bleeding from a pleural adhesion while on apixaban anticoagulation therapy for atrial fibrillation. She was admitted to Royal Adelaide Hospital for psychiatric care under an Inpatient Treatment Order for mania following cessation of carbamazepine. On 24 April 2019, after slipping in the bathroom and experiencing dry retching, she developed massive intra-thoracic bleeding (1600ml) and died peacefully. The coroner found no concerns relating to her care. Her extreme fragility from multiple comorbidities (aortic valve replacement, pacemaker, immunoglobulin deficiency, Addison's disease, epilepsy) meant haemothorax could have occurred spontaneously even without the documented fall. The anticoagulation was appropriate and not criticised.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.

Specialties

psychiatrycardiologygeneral medicinepathology

Drugs involved

apixabancarbamazepinesotalol

Clinical conditions

haemothoraxatrial fibrillationaortic valve incompetencebipolar affective disordermaniaimmunoglobulin G deficiencyAddison's diseaseepileptiform seizuresasthmaurinary tract infection

Contributing factors

  • apixaban anticoagulation therapy
  • pleural adhesion between lower lobe of right lung and displaced healed fracture of seventh rib
  • fall in bathroom
  • dry retching
  • advanced age and multiple comorbidities
  • extreme fragility

Coroner's recommendations

  1. No recommendations made
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