Inquest into the death of Basilio Alesandro Petsas

54y · Male·Unascertained

A 54-year-old man with HIV, hepatitis C, cirrhosis, and significant immunocompromise presented with acute sepsis on 23 December 2016. Despite rapid ambulance response with sepsis protocol initiation and ICU-level aggressive investigation and support at St Vincent's Hospital, the source of infection was never identified despite blood cultures, imaging, and microbiology. He deteriorated with coagulopathy, DIC, acute kidney injury, and liver dysfunction, dying four days later. The coroner could not determine cause of death due to uncertainty regarding both the primary infection source and possible contribution from recent intravenous drug use. A critical delay in autopsy (21 days) severely constrained forensic investigation and prevented useful toxicology analysis. Clinicians faced diagnostic uncertainty in a profoundly immunocompromised patient; earlier autopsy might have clarified aetiology.