83 results
54y · Female·mixed drug toxicity
A 54-year-old nurse with chronic pain from a 1990 back injury died from mixed drug toxicity involving morphine, codeine, doxylamine and nitrazepam. She was prescribed multiple CNS depressants for years despite being desi…
51y · Male·acute methadone toxicity
A 51-year-old man died from acute methadone toxicity with a blood level of 2.5 mg/L (within fatal range). He was prescribed methadone tablets by his GP for chronic pain management since at least March 2014. Investigation…
33y · Female·Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy complicating mixed drug toxicity
Jessica Higgins, a 33-year-old woman with chronic pain on high-dose opioids, underwent ketamine infusion with planned opioid rotation to methadone in May 2017. She was discharged on 23 May on methadone 5mg twice daily pl…
53y · Female·Combined effects of alcohol, amitriptyline, and methadone
Joanne Lovelock, a 53-year-old woman with chronic pain, died from combined effects of alcohol, amitriptyline, and methadone on Christmas Day 2015. She had developed opioid dependence while receiving legitimate pain manag…
87y · Female·Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy secondary to cardiac arrest, with valvular hear…
An 87-year-old woman died following a CT-guided epidural injection at a private radiology clinic. Although she had undergone the procedure for spinal pain, the radiologist performed an epidural injection at the T12 level…
52y · Male·Mixed drug toxicity
A 52-year-old man with multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, depression and history of suicidality died from mixed drug toxicity following an intentional overdose. He was prescribed multiple opioids (fentanyl, tramadol, oxyc…
47y · Female·Overdose of hydromorphone
A 47-year-old woman died from an intentional overdose of prescribed hydromorphone while residing at a domestic violence refuge. She had a history of depression, previous suicide attempts, and was in crisis following sepa…
43y · Male·hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy following polypharmacy overdose and iatrogenic …
Jay Alan Paterson, a 43-year-old man with chronic pain and opioid dependence, died from hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy following polypharmacy overdose and iatrogenic upper airway injury. He obtained 296 oxycodone table…
58y · Male·Heroin toxicity
58-year-old man with chronic back pain, paranoid schizophrenia, and decades-long prescription opioid and benzodiazepine abuse died from heroin toxicity. He had been successfully withdrawn from opioids (MS Contin, Endone)…
38y · Male·Toxicity to heroin
A 38-year-old man with a 24-year history of heroin addiction died from heroin toxicity shortly after release from prison. He had recently completed a 3-month custodial sentence and was released on 22 June 2018, dying on …
81y · Male·multi-organ failure complicating multiple right-sided rib fractures due to a fal…
An 81-year-old man sustained multiple rib fractures from a 1.5m ladder fall. Initial assessment at a rural hospital on day one was appropriate. However, when chest X-rays on day two revealed 9 rib fractures, the treating…
24y · Male·bronchopneumonia complicating oxycodone toxicity
Matthew Neil Hardy Tonkin was a 24-year-old Australian Army veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain who died from bronchopneumonia complicating oxycodone toxicity. He engaged in prescription shopping…
22y · Male·acute blood loss from incised injuries to left forearm
Simon Smith, a 22-year-old with end-stage renal failure requiring dialysis and complex comorbidities, died by suicide during hospitalization. Despite multiple psychiatric assessments finding he had capacity to make treat…
multi-drug toxicity (opioids, heroin, benzodiazepines, prescription drugs)
This inquest examined six opioid-related deaths in NSW occurring in May 2016, with causes ranging from heroin and fentanyl toxicity to multi-drug overdoses. The coroner identified multiple preventable factors: inadequate…
27y · Male·combined drug toxicity (U-47700 and etizolam)
Mark Sach, aged 27, died from combined drug toxicity involving U-47700 (a synthetic opioid 7.5 times more potent than morphine) and etizolam (a benzodiazepine 10 times more potent than diazepam), obtained via internet pu…
50y · Male·methadone and alprazolam intoxication
Michael John Taylor, aged 50, died from methadone and alprazolam intoxication on 13 May 2016. He had chronic back pain and had been prescribed methadone and oxazepam since 2005. Evidence suggests he was crushing and inje…
53y · Male·fentanyl and oxycodone toxicity
Stephen Robert Atkins, 53, died from fentanyl and oxycodone toxicity after admission to Flinders Medical Centre for investigation of Horner's syndrome and radiculopathy. Over three days, escalating opioid doses were pres…
28y · Male·Mixed drug toxicity (synergistic effects of diazepam, oxycodone, and fentanyl ca…
Matthew McLachlan, a 28-year-old paraplegic with chronic pain from spinal cord injury, died from mixed drug toxicity while hospitalized for urinary tract infection treatment. He was receiving fentanyl patches, oxycodone,…
34y · Female·Mixed drug toxicity
Diane Maria Hillgrove, a 34-year-old woman with chronic pain, PTSD, anxiety and substance abuse history, died from mixed drug toxicity on 7 July 2018. Post-mortem toxicology revealed elevated pregabalin (51 mg/L), morphi…
57y · Female·Positional asphyxia caused by the combined effect of consumption of several opia…
57-year-old woman with chronic pain died from positional asphyxia caused by consumption of multiple sedative medications. She was prescribed opioids (Fentanyl, Oxycodone) and Pregabalin, but also obtained Dolased and Pro…
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