Deceased
Betty Eileen Cliffe
Demographics
85y, female
Date of death
2023-04-16
Finding date
2024-08-30
Cause of death
Asphyxia due to upper airways obstruction by mucoid plugging of the upper airways on a background of cardiomegaly and heart failure
AI-generated summary
Betty Cliffe, 85-year-old with intellectual disability and oropharyngeal dysphagia, died from asphyxia due to upper airway mucoid plugging on a background of cardiomegaly and heart failure. She was admitted to hospital on 9 April 2023 with suspected aspiration pneumonia. Despite appropriate initial management with antibiotics, fluids, and steroids, her dysphagia progressively worsened. A speech pathology assessment on 14 April showed deterioration necessitating nil-by-mouth status. She suffered an aspiration event with acute respiratory distress and hypoxia. Given her baseline health, irreversible dysphagia, and failure to improve with maximal treatment, the team appropriately transitioned her to comfort care. The coroner found her care and medical treatment reasonable and appropriate throughout.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
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