Discharge letter to GP left out critical medication, says coroner
The doctor was never told the patient, who later died from bowel ischaemia, was meant to be on dual antiplatelet therapy: Victorian coroner
A hospital has still not taken action to improve its communication with GPs despite the death of a patient whose family doctor was not sent critical medication information on discharge, a coroner says.
Victorian Coroner Simon McGregor made his comments after examining the case of the 57-year-old patient who died at Footscray Hospital in Melbourne.
The patient died of sepsis from bowel ischaemia and superior mesenteric artery thrombosis just weeks after undergoing a superior mesenteric artery (SMA) plasty and stent on 18 February 2020.
He was readmitted to the hospital on 8 March with a three-day history of abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting, and staff realised he had not been taking clopidogrel and aspirin post-op as prescribed.
