Coroner's Finding: Heraghty, Susanna Elizabeth
Deceased
Susanna Elizabeth Heraghty
Demographics
68y, female
Date of death
2021-11-06
Finding date
2024
Cause of death
mixed prescription drug toxicity (oxycodone, metoprolol, diazepam)
AI-generated summary
Ms Heraghty, a 68-year-old woman with multiple comorbidities including obesity (BMI 47.3), atrial fibrillation, COPD, and severe chronic pain, died from mixed prescription drug toxicity (oxycodone, metoprolol, diazepam) following suicide. She had been awaiting right total knee replacement since 2017, which was cancelled three times: due to atrial fibrillation, infection, and finally deemed futile due to extreme perioperative risk. Despite understanding risks, Ms Heraghty refused cardiac optimisation, further investigations, and agreed post-operative care. The final cancellation on 29 October 2021 triggered acute suicidal ideation. While police and paramedics responded to welfare concerns that day, her psychological state appeared improved after discussion of alternative surgical pathways. However, she died by her own hand days later. The coroner found no fault with the hospital's decision to classify surgery as futile, accepting that doctors appropriately prioritised patient safety and that Ms Heraghty could not dictate treatment.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Procedures
Contributing factors
- suicide by medication overdose
- acute suicidal ideation triggered by fourth cancellation of knee replacement surgery
- chronic intractable pain and immobility
- social isolation and depression
- morbid obesity (BMI 47.3)
- multiple comorbidities including atrial fibrillation and COPD
- refusal to accept medical recommendations for pre-operative optimisation
- frustration with multiple surgical delays
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