Deceased
Jennifer Ann Collins
Demographics
30y, female
Date of death
2018-09-06
Finding date
2024-03-27
Cause of death
tricuspid valve bacterial endocarditis
AI-generated summary
Jennifer Collins, a 30-year-old intravenous methylamphetamine user, died from tricuspid valve bacterial endocarditis on 6 September 2018. She presented to Noarlunga Hospital ED on 20 August 2018 with chest tightness, fever, and tachycardia (heart rate 150). The ED did not perform blood cultures or investigate for pulmonary embolism, discharging her with a diagnosis of viral illness. Four days later, paramedic Shaun Falls attended her home but failed to explore her chest pain complaint, misrecorded her elevated heart rate (136-137 bpm as 110-112 bpm), and recommended GP follow-up rather than hospital transport. She died two days later. Expert evidence confirmed that blood cultures on 20 August would likely have identified endocarditis and prevention of death was the probable outcome. Critical failures included failure to obtain blood cultures in a high-risk IVDU patient with fever and chest pain, failure to investigate for pulmonary embolism, inadequate handover of information from paramedics to hospital, and paramedic failure to adequately assess and escalate a deteriorating patient.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Procedures
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