Finding into death of Keanne Liza Whittam
Deceased
Keanne Liza Whittam
Demographics
43y, female
Date of death
2022-01-27
Finding date
2023-03-20
Cause of death
Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy secondary to out of hospital cardiac arrest due to ischaemic heart disease
AI-generated summary
43-year-old woman with severe, undiscovered coronary artery atherosclerosis died from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest while in police custody at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. She had presented to ED 5 months earlier with leg ulcers but was not screened for cardiac disease despite risk factors (smoking, intravenous drug use). No cardiac murmur was documented, and she had no known cardiac history. She was arrested for drug trafficking and died during her first night in custody while withdrawing from heroin. Autopsy revealed extensive coronary blockages far exceeding expected for age 43. Clinical staff at police station, prison, and hospitals managed her care appropriately given available information. The death was preventable only if prior screening had detected undiagnosed severe coronary disease.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- Severe coronary artery atherosclerosis undetected prior to arrest
- Heroin withdrawal in setting of underlying ischaemic heart disease
- No prior cardiac screening despite multiple risk factors
- No regular general practitioner
- Lack of continuity of care
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