Deceased
Jessinda Kiroyan
Demographics
41y, female
Date of death
2019-05-14
Finding date
2021-03-19
Cause of death
Nitrate/nitrite toxicity
AI-generated summary
Jessinda Kiroyan, a 41-year-old woman with a longstanding history of bipolar affective disorder, died from nitrate/nitrite toxicity in May 2019 after intentionally ingesting sodium nitrite obtained from a food ingredient supplier. She had ceased psychiatric treatment in 2014 despite a diagnosis requiring ongoing management. The coroner's investigation identified a marked increase in sodium nitrite suicides in Victoria since 2017, with 20 confirmed cases between 2000 and 2020. The finding highlights potential prevention opportunities including: clinician education about recognising methaemoglobinaemia and using methylene blue as antidote therapy, restricting online suicide method information, secure workplace storage of sodium nitrite, and improved investigation protocols to identify sources and learning pathways. The case underscores the importance of sustained mental health engagement for patients with chronic psychiatric conditions and the emerging public health challenge of sodium nitrite-facilitated suicide.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Clinical conditions
59y · Male·Multiple injuries
Martin Carl Quiterio, a 59-year-old man with longstanding schizophrenia and suspected autism spectrum disorder, died on 3 January 2024 when he jumped from the 14th floor of a car park in West Perth. He had been discharge…
40y · Male·Unascertained
Nathan James Taylor, aged 40, died in Port Lincoln Prison on 24 March 2022 while in custody pending trial on witness interference charges. He had significant medical history including infective endocarditis with tricuspi…
36y · Male·Drowning
Gary Dale Sargeant, a 36-year-old Royal Australian Air Force member, died by drowning after absconding from Edinburgh Health Centre during an acute mental health crisis. Critical clinical failures included: a clinical ps…
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. All court orders for redaction and non-publication are respected; documents with technically defective redaction have been excluded from the database entirely. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction —