Deceased
Leeanne Margaret Humphries
Demographics
55y, female
Date of death
2022-01-14
Finding date
2023-11-07
Cause of death
smoke inhalation from domestic fire caused by unextinguished cigarette
AI-generated summary
A 55-year-old woman with a prior stroke causing physical disability, intellectual disability, schizophrenia, epilepsy, diabetes and atrial fibrillation died from smoke inhalation in a domestic fire. She was a heavy smoker who smoked indoors and discarded cigarettes carelessly on surfaces. The fire originated from an unextinguished cigarette on upholstered furniture in her lounge room. She was taking tapentadol (a synthetic opioid), amitriptyline, and alcohol—substances that combined to cause sedation. Her physical disability and sedation meant she could not react quickly enough to escape. Functioning smoke alarms were present but apparently unheard. The coroner found no suspicious circumstances and concluded that timely emergency response could not have prevented her death. This case illustrates risks of smoking in vulnerable populations with mobility and cognitive impairment, and the importance of supervised medication management and safe smoking practices.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Drugs involved
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