Coroner's Finding: Menz, Michelle Joy

58y · Female·pulmonary thromboembolism due to deep venous thrombosis following pelvic trauma

Michelle Joy Menz, aged 58, died from pulmonary thromboembolism secondary to deep vein thrombosis following pelvic trauma sustained in a motor vehicle crash on 17 January 2023. She was admitted to Royal Hobart Hospital with multiple injuries including pelvic and sacral fractures, rib fractures, collapsed lung, and bladder rupture. She died two days later on 19 January 2023. The crash occurred when she entered a curve at excessive speed on a wet road. Deep vein thrombosis developed adjacent to her fractured pelvis, which embolised causing fatal pulmonary thromboembolism. This case highlights the serious thromboembolic risk following pelvic trauma and the importance of early thromboprophylaxis in trauma patients with significant pelvic injuries.