Coronial
VICmental health

Finding into death of Geoffrey Edward Farrow

Deceased

Geoffrey Edward Farrow

Demographics

67y, male

Date of death

2010-08-17

Finding date

2013-02-11

Cause of death

Hypertensive cardiomegaly and ischaemic heart disease

AI-generated summary

Geoffrey Edward Farrow, 67, with long-standing untreated hypertension and schizophrenia, was arrested after making threats at Federal Police offices. He was admitted involuntarily to John Cade Psychiatric Unit under the Mental Health Act 1986. On admission, psychiatry certified him as involuntary and administered antipsychotic medications (Olanzapine and Zuclopenthixol) for agitation and persecutory delusions. Two days later, he was found in cardiac arrest and died. Autopsy revealed cardiomegaly and severe ischaemic heart disease. Toxicology showed therapeutic antipsychotic levels with no evidence of medication-related cause of death. The coroner found the medical management reasonable and appropriate with no causal connection between admission and death.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.

Contributing factors

  • long-standing untreated hypertension
  • severe coronary artery atherosclerosis
  • underlying natural cardiovascular disease
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