113 results
3y · Male·Brainstem ischaemia in association with Arnold Chiari malformation
Matthew Whyte, a 3-year-old with Arnold Chiari malformation and hydrocephalus, died from brainstem ischaemia following multiple shunt complications and emergency decompression surgery. The coroner found that after Matthe…
25y · Female·mixed drug toxicity
Rachel Smith, a 25-year-old woman with chronic migraines and depression, died from mixed drug toxicity after consuming multiple prescription medications including oxycodone, codeine, tramadol, diazepam, amitriptyline and…
10y · Male·Unascertained, consistent with epileptic seizure (SUDEP - Sudden Unexpected Deat…
A 10-year-old boy in state care died suddenly overnight, with cause of death determined to be consistent with epileptic seizure (SUDEP). He had a clinical history of seizures from 2007 onwards, with an abnormal EEG in 20…
45y · Female·Pethidine toxicity
Maree Arthur died from pethidine toxicity at home on 2 February 2008, aged 45. She had complex chronic pain from previous surgeries and motor vehicle injury. Her GP, Dr Phillips, prescribed large quantities of pethidine …
29y · Male·severe burns sustained in motor vehicle fire following collision
29-year-old Benjamin Wilton was killed in a horrific car fire following a rear-end collision with a vehicle driven by 67-year-old Robert Spencer on a Darwin highway. Spencer had suffered a stroke in 2003 with residual co…
35y · Female·Global cerebral ischaemic injury in the setting of post caecal resection for col…
Kerry Anne Golley, a 35-year-old woman with intellectual disability, autism, and epilepsy, presented with recurrent vomiting between December 2011 and February 2012, requiring multiple ED visits and hospital admissions. …
33y · Male·toxic effects of oxycodone
A 33-year-old man died from oxycodone toxicity after his general practitioner prescribed escalating doses of the opioid for intermittent migraines over 14 months (5-30mg daily), despite a prior rejection of a pethidine a…
67y · Female·Lithium toxicity with chest infection and bipolar disorder; Alzheimer's disease …
Mrs Snopek, aged 67 with bipolar disorder on long-term lithium, was prescribed coversyl (an ACE inhibitor) by Dr A. in January 2008 for hypertension. This combination is contraindicated as ACE inhibitors impair renal fun…
41y · Female·Intracerebral haemorrhage secondary to Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndr…
Kerri Gunn, a 41-year-old woman five days post-caesarean delivery, presented to emergency with frontal headache, elevated blood pressure, proteinuria, abnormal liver function and lower limb oedema. She was admitted under…
Male·Multiple injuries from aircraft crash; underlying cause - epileptic seizure suff…
Two men died when a Yak-52 aircraft piloted by Barry Hempel crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Evidence suggests Hempel suffered an epileptic seizure mid-flight, rendering him incapacitated and unable to control the aircraf…
43y · Male·Acute bacterial meningitis
Robert Spencer, a 43-year-old man, died from acute bacterial meningitis on 3 October 2009. He presented with back pain, fever, and paraesthesia on 25 September, attended Benalla Hospital (discharged home), saw GP Dr S. o…
5y · Male·Brainstem encephalitis (viral)
Rolden Ablis, aged 5, presented to Frankston Hospital Emergency Department with fever, vomiting, and dehydration on 10 December 2007. He was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and admitted for fluid resuscitation. Despite cl…
69y · Female·bronchopneumonia complicating intracranial tumour (meningioma with obstructive h…
Mary Patricia Kruger, aged 69, died of bronchopneumonia complicating a massive subfrontal meningioma with obstructive hydrocephalus. Her death was preventable. During a November 2006 hospital admission for urinary tract …
28y · Female·undiagnosed acute streptococcus pneumonia meningitis with left-sided otitis medi…
28-year-old Michelle McIlquham with mild intellectual disability presented to Bankstown Hospital ED with fever, headache, ear infection and first-ever seizure. A junior doctor diagnosed simple otitis media with behaviour…
86y · Male·head injury (acute intracerebral haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage)
An 86-year-old man with recurrent falls history was admitted to hospital after a fall at home. He was initially assessed as low falls risk (11/20 on FRAT) but then reassessed as medium risk. Despite falls interventions i…
64y · Female·Bilateral pulmonary embolism with left middle cerebral artery/posterior cerebral…
Marlene Kenny, 64, presented to Orbost Hospital on 8 January 2007 with chest tightness, breathing difficulties and low oxygen saturation (83-86%). A doctor diagnosed panic attack and discharged her without investigation.…
40y · Female·hypoxic encephalopathy and epilepsy with diffuse fibrillary astrocytoma within t…
Laura Parker, a 40-year-old woman with a long history of epilepsy, borderline personality disorder, and recent seizures, died at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on 16 March 2008 from hypoxic encephalopathy caused by cardiac …
12y · Female·Raised intracranial pressure due to acute-on-chronic hydrocephalus in the contex…
Samantha Rose Spence, 12 years old, died two days after spinal fusion surgery for severe scoliosis. She had a pre-existing, asymptomatic Chiari type 1 malformation detected on pre-operative MRI of her spine. A paediatric…
20y · Male·multiple injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident (cyclist)
A 20-year-old elite cyclist was struck from behind and killed by a motor vehicle driven by a 73-year-old man with previously undiagnosed hemianopia (loss of peripheral vision to the left). The driver had struck another c…
62y · Female·pulmonary thromboembolism due to deep venous thrombosis of right calf
Ms Wendy Ryder, aged 62, died from pulmonary embolism secondary to deep venous thrombosis (DVT) six weeks after abdominal surgery (total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) for treatment of severe…
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