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What Causes Sudden Death?
Question: My mother recently passed. I found her face down in her pillow in prone position. Her hands were clenched and at the chest area. She was perfectly fine the day prior and had been to the doctor that very day. something happened during the night, but we don't know what. When I rolled her over, there was blueing (assuming blood) on her face in beard form, also on her throat and upper chest. A small amount of sputum and blood on her pillow where her nose and mouth were.. Any idea what happened? She was 77 and I did not have the heart to put my father thru and autopsy. Thank you for any help.
Brief Answer:
Heart attack was most likely
Detailed Answer:
Dear friend,
Welcome to Health Care Magic
Sorry to hear the sad news…
This is highly suggestive of heart attack or Pulmonary embolism
[Rarely, there are others like brain haemorrhage…]
Sudden death (in less than an hour) is typical of the two.
This is the classical presentation in Coronary Artery Disease –
25 % die suddenly – without any symptom in the past / another 25 % reach the hospital and die in less than a week….
Clenching the fist and keeping on the chest is a common gesture in people with chest pain…
Froth in the mouth and /or blood is from sudden left heart failure in the attack or lung damage and leaking capillaries…
Post mortem could have clinched the cause – but is at times traumatic to some relatives…
You are right to have waived it – serves no purpose to the one departed…
Later on, the relatives should be tested for risk factors for Coronary Artery Disease.
May her soul rest in peace
Take care
God bless
Heart attack was most likely
Detailed Answer:
Dear friend,
Welcome to Health Care Magic
Sorry to hear the sad news…
This is highly suggestive of heart attack or Pulmonary embolism
[Rarely, there are others like brain haemorrhage…]
Sudden death (in less than an hour) is typical of the two.
This is the classical presentation in Coronary Artery Disease –
25 % die suddenly – without any symptom in the past / another 25 % reach the hospital and die in less than a week….
Clenching the fist and keeping on the chest is a common gesture in people with chest pain…
Froth in the mouth and /or blood is from sudden left heart failure in the attack or lung damage and leaking capillaries…
Post mortem could have clinched the cause – but is at times traumatic to some relatives…
You are right to have waived it – serves no purpose to the one departed…
Later on, the relatives should be tested for risk factors for Coronary Artery Disease.
May her soul rest in peace
Take care
God bless
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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