The death of a teacher's aide who suffered deep vein thrombosis following an immobilising ankle injury may not have occurred if she had been prescribed blood-thinning medication, a Tasmanian coroner has found.
Jessica Rose-Aida Borton, 43, fell over in a car park on October 4 last year and was initially given crutches and a moon boot for her injury.
She was immobilised ahead of further review, and was eight days later identified as having ruptured her Achilles tendon.
Ms Borton underwent surgery on October 16 at the Launceston General Hospital and the next morning suffered a "fluttering in her chest".
It was diagnosed as a pulmonary embolism, when a blood clot gets stuck in an artery in the lung and blocks blood flow to part of the lung. She died the following afternoon.
In findings published on Monday, coroner Simon Cooper ruled Ms Borton died from a lack of oxygen to the brain as a result of the clot, which was caused by deep vein thrombosis.
Mr Cooper said the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE), blood clots in veins, following Achilles tendon rupture is high whether the injury is treated conservatively or surgically.
He said Ms Borton had two major factors, obesity and immobility, which predisposed her to developing VTE as a consequence of her Achilles injury.
Mr Cooper said there was "no evidence" blood-thinning medication was even considered, let alone prescribed following her ankle injury.
"Had it been, a different outcome for Ms Borton may have been possible," he said.
Mr Cooper said a report from Dr Anthony Bell, the medical adviser to the coroner, said there was no justification for routine use of chemical VTE prophylaxis, blood-thinning medication, for patients undergoing isolated foot and ankle surgery.
"But exceptions relate to Achilles tendon rupture, which certainly call for, at the very least, individual patient assessment," he said.
Mr Cooper made no formal recommendations but commented that "the association of ruptured Achilles tendons, consequent immobilisation and subsequent development of VTE needs, in my respectful view, to be better recognised and understood within the broader medical community".
