A 55-year-old woman with multiple comorbidities including morbid obesity, schizophrenia, depression, and substance use disorder died from asphyxia caused by choking on food while at a friend's home in supported accommodation. She was on multiple central nervous system depressants and atropine, all of which depressed pharyngeal reflexes and increased aspiration risk. Paramedics arrived within minutes but were delayed approximately 6 minutes gaining access to the locked facility, during which critical early resuscitation and airway clearance could not occur. The coroner found that earlier access might have enabled survival. The delay resulted from poor communication between the facility and ambulance services regarding access codes, and system limitations in the ambulance dispatch software that made storing and retrieving access information impractical.
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Specialties
emergency medicinepsychiatrygeneral practiceparamedicineforensic medicine
central nervous system depressants depressing pharyngeal reflexes
atropine use drying gastrointestinal secretions
morbid obesity
substance use (including non-prescribed medications)
delayed access to locked facility by paramedics
poor communication between facility and ambulance services regarding access codes
inadequate ambulance dispatch system capability for storing and retrieving access information
Coroner's recommendations
Managers of housing and residential facilities are encouraged to provide necessary access details to Ambulance Tasmania and update them with any changes in access details
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