Stephen Herczeg’s “horrific” death at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital last year was entirely preventable, says the state coroner.
The former soccer player died in September after oxygen was mistakenly connected to his catheter.
“Mr Herczeg’s death was horrific,” Mark Johns said in findings handed down on Thursday. “It was traumatic and there is no doubt that Mr Herczeg was in severe pain as a result of the mechanism of death.”
“In the awful and macabre circumstances of Mr Herczeg’s death his body filled much like a balloon, causing internal disruption.
“It was entirely preventable, at least on the assumption that nobody connected the tubing with the intention of causing his death.
“It goes without saying that this event should not have happened.
“Mr Herczeg came into hospital in the early hours of the same day as a result of what turned out to be a urinary tract infection.
“Such a condition should normally lead to an uncomplicated admission with the discharge of the patient following treatment.
“It would not normally be expected to result in death in a public hospital, and certainly not a death from traumatic injury as occurred in Mr Herczeg’s case.”
Former Socceroo’s “horrific” death at a major #Adelaide hospital entirely preventable, State Coroner rules. https://t.co/zEUS8DV142
— The Advertiser (@theTiser) August 10, 2017
