Re: Off Topic - Cause of Death modern times


"Jeff" <jorg826@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:56gxj.41349$FO1.23952@xxxxxxxxxxx
I realise this is OT but I know there is a lot of expertise on this
NG so I'm asking here as well as other NGs

My daughter's mother-in-law died very suddenly recently at young age
of 52.

The autopsy showed no cause of death.

They ran a toxicology screen which showed nothing.

They then ran a second much more detailed toxicology screen and that
also showed nothing.

They are now going to run some microbiological tests but the coroner
has said he very much doubts they will show anything.

I'm curious as to how common it is for absolutely no cause of death
to be found with modern technology. It's not entirely idle
curiosity, I have a concern for my and her grandchildren in terms of
possible inherited health issues.

The coroner did issue a death certificate after the autopsy which
allowed cremation. Our death certificates (B.C., Canada) don't show
cause of death, that is recorded on another, not publicly available,
document.

As I keep on saying, knowing how common or rare a thing is in a
population is not, and cannot ever be, a guide to what happened in a
particular case.

What is certain is that there is a cause, but I don't see how that is
going to be identified after the body is cremated unless it was some
genetic cause which can be determined from DNA analysis of samples
taken post-mortem. You might get some clue by doing the genealogy of
the lady!. That is to say the 'rich' genealogy where you investigate
the pattern of health and death in persons genetically close to the
lady. That includes her aunts, uncles, cousins and so forth, If you
are prepared to do the work you m ight as well cut off at her
greatgrandparents and her second cousins. You won't get useful
information from further away.

With absolutely no knowledge of the case I'll nevertheless observe
that it wouldn't surprise me if she was an undiagnosed diabetic who
went out like a light from diabetic keto-acidosis. The inquest on a
very fit young lady was held in Plymouth last week. She was just 29
and a naval lieutenant. Her shipmates thought she was drunk so just
left her to sleep it off. That mistake has been made hundreds of times
with diabetics who could have been recovered if anybody had realised
in time. That is why all of us who have been diagnosed carry a card
saying we are diabetic.

Diabetes is far from the only condition from which sudden death may
proceed. In your place and with money to spend I'd get my daughter and
husband and all available parents, including yourself, a comprehensive
DNA analysis. Ditto for all your daughter's kids. I'd also look around
for any research going on on sudden death, and offer the family as
test subjects if they fit the experimental protocol.

Those who want to indulge in conspiracy theories can come up with
'indetectable murder'. You can't rule it out because you don't have
the evidence. It can be done, and I happen to have the materials and
kit to do it in about a dozen different ways. But its the sort of
thing met with in fiction rather than in real life because to be truly
indetctable it would have to be a completely motiveless crime. If
there is a motive, then police investigations start. If I used a
substance for which there is no known forensic test (and I have
several) it wouldn't get me clear away. Foremsic analysts are
inexorable and pernickety folk and they'll go on until they have found
a test. So anybody wanting to go down the murder line almost has to
posit that the poisoner is a complete idiot who understands nothng
about the power of forensic chemical analysis.

So in your place I'd focus solely on the genetic diseases known to
have sudden death outcomes, especially when undiagnosed. You could
reasonably assume that if it was an infectious disease cause or an
accident then any competent pathologist would have found it quickly.

The other point, looking forward, is that if the rich genealogy does
yield a reasonable suspicion of a genetic cause, then assume it is the
cause for the purpose of making any advised changes in the lifestyle
of your daughter and her children. If it isn't the cause and she takes
defensive measures it will do her children no harm. If it is the
cause, then the defensive measures may enormously extend their life
expectancy.

If you want more information you can write privately, but don't be
suprised if the answer is delayed. My American cousin is due to arrive
within the hour and the purpose of the visit will be to discuss the
very issues of family health which bother you. Or to be completely
truthful, we'll discuss until the testing of ancient single malt
whiskies catches up with us!

Don



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