71 results
53y · Male·Aspiration pneumonia in the setting of Down syndrome and pelvic fractures
Damien Mark Stone, a 53-year-old man with Down syndrome and early-onset Alzheimer's disease, died from aspiration pneumonia following a pelvic fracture sustained during hospital admission. Key clinical lessons include: (…
53y · Female·Unascertained (presumed drowned)
Kathleen Smith, a 53-year-old podiatrist, disappeared on 15 July 2024 and is presumed to have drowned at Sorrento Back Beach. She was experiencing severe anxiety about upcoming foot surgery due to severe flatfoot deformi…
87y · Female·right thigh haematoma as a consequence of a periprosthetic fracture of the right…
An 87-year-old woman with multiple comorbidities (diabetes, atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease) sustained a periprosthetic fracture requiring distal femur replacement. She deteriorated significantly during …
26y · Female·Pulmonary thromboembolism due to deep vein thrombosis (left leg) due to fracture…
A 26-year-old woman with a tibia fracture died from pulmonary embolism due to deep vein thrombosis. Despite multiple risk factors (obesity, oral contraceptive use, vaping, leg immobilization, prolonged immobility), no fo…
86y · Female·Hypostatic pneumonia due to the consequences of a right pubic rami fracture and …
An 86-year-old woman with advanced dementia and frailty suffered an unwitnessed fall at her aged care facility. Initial assessment failed to identify pubic rami and hip fractures. Post-fall documentation was insufficient…
94y · Male·aspiration pneumonia due to stroke following surgery to repair fracture of neck …
A 94-year-old man with dementia died from aspiration pneumonia following a stroke after hip surgery. The stroke and hip fracture resulted from being pushed by another resident with Alzheimer's dementia at an aged care fa…
62y · Male·Septic arthritis complicating left knee joint prosthesis in the setting of statu…
A 62-year-old man with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy died from septic arthritis of a prosthetic left knee joint. He presented with fever, knee pain, and delirium in November 2022, three months po…
66y · Female·Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy
A 66-year-old woman with COPD, obstructive sleep apnoea, and obesity underwent routine knee surgery at Royal Darwin Hospital. Post-operative care was inadequate. Despite dropping oxygen saturations to 88% when sedated an…
90y · Female·Surgical repair of fractured neck of femur sustained in a fall complicated by CO…
Maria Grazia Nardiello, aged 90, died following surgical repair of a fractured neck of femur sustained in a fall at an aged care facility, complicated by COVID-19 infection. She was pushed by another resident with dement…
57y · Male·partially suspended hanging
A 57-year-old man with longstanding alcohol use disorder, anxiety, and recent-onset suicidal ideation died by hanging in hospital after a 108-day admission for orthopaedic injuries sustained from intentional jumping. He …
92y · Male·periprosthetic fracture of the left hip sustained from a fall from standing posi…
A 92-year-old man with complex cardiac history was admitted to Royal Hobart Hospital with chest pain and atrial fibrillation. He remained in the Emergency Medical Unit (EMU) for five days despite clinical deterioration, …
74y · Male·small intestinal ischaemia caused by aortic atherosclerosis
A 74-year-old man presented to hospital with abdominal pain following a fall. He developed hypotension, fever, tachycardia, and elevated inflammatory markers consistent with sepsis within hours of admission. Despite clea…
65y · Male·Cardiac arrhythmia, probably Torsades de Pointes, due to the combined effects of…
Linus Phillips, age 65, died at home in October 2014 from cardiac arrhythmia (Torsades de Pointes) precipitated by methadone prescribed with inadequate oversight. Mr Phillips had chronic pain from knee surgery, severe sl…
48y · Female·Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy due to pulmonary thromboembolism due to deep ve…
A 48-year-old woman with morbid obesity and smoking history presented to a rural hospital with severe hip and leg pain. Over five days across two hospitals, no venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment was performed d…
17y · Male·stroke (left middle cerebral artery infarction) following motorbike collision du…
Kane Mathew Leary, 17, died from a stroke (left middle cerebral artery infarction) following a motorbike collision. The critical clinical lesson involves a missed diagnosis of left internal carotid artery dissection on i…
36y · Female·Stab wound to the right chest
Amanda Jane Harris, 36, was fatally stabbed by her intimate partner Daniel Eckersley on 7 July 2018 in Cranbourne North, Victoria. Eckersley was prescribed high-dose tramadol (700-800mg daily) for chronic pain over 22 mo…
68y · Female·Pulmonary embolism due to deep venous thrombosis secondary to fractured left dis…
Mary Morrow, aged 68, died from pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis following a fractured left ankle sustained in Queensland on 23 June 2021. She received appropriate VTE prophylaxis initially (enoxaparin) but th…
75y · Female·Septicaemia (Staphylococcus aureus) with antecedent cause of septic arthritis
A 75-year-old woman with chronic pain and previous staphylococcal infections presented to Glen Innes District Hospital with a swollen, warm right knee 10 days after a corticosteroid injection. Junior doctor Dr M. appropr…
74y · Male·Pulmonary thromboembolism secondary to deep vein thrombosis in the setting of re…
A 74-year-old man died from pulmonary thromboembolism secondary to deep vein thrombosis following a cervical spinal fracture. He presented to rural ED with mental health concerns, was restrained by security guards after …
49y · Female·Cannot be determined
Melissa Caddick, a financial advisor running a Ponzi scheme, disappeared on 12 November 2020 after ASIC executed a search warrant at her home. Her decomposed foot washed ashore 100 days later. Clinical lessons emerge: th…
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