Cause of Annas Death

Emily Kabitzke
Possible Causes of Death
Stroke
Heart attack
Heart failure
Ketoacidosis
Low oxygen levels/low blood sugar faint
fall and hit head
14 Months
Symptoms:
high urine output (urinary system)
abdominal pain (digestive/nervous system)
shortness of breath (respiratory system)
Diagnosis: Sickle Cell Anemia
14 Years
Symptoms:
increased urination (urinary system)
glucose in urine (urinary system)
increased thirst
fatigue (muscular/nervous system)
Diagnosis: Type 1 Diabetes & Hyperglycemia
37 Years
Symptoms:
shortness of breath (respiratory system)
high blood pressure (cardiovascular system)
Diagnosis: Heart Disease, Hypercholesterolemia &
Atherosclerosis
38 Years
Symptoms:
Fatigue (muscular/nervous system)
Persistent urge to urinate (urinary system)
Diagnosis: Urinary Tract Infection caused by Serratia
Marcescens
Cause of Death
KETOACIDOSIS
Anna Garcia died from ketoacidosis. Typical symptoms include, abdominal
pain, shortness of breath, increased thirst, fatigue, and vomiting (vomit was
found at the scene). Similarly, key risk factors include hypercholesterolemia,
high glucose levels in the body, resulting in diabetes, hyperglycemia, infections
such as a urinary tract infection, and high protein in urine, resulting in kidney
failure. Some fatal complications of ketoacidosis include cerebral edema
(swelling of the brain) and severe dehydration which is what happened to Anna.
Annas Diseases
Diabetes
Diabetes may have easily been one of the largest
contributing factors to Annas Death. Since Anna had
Type 1 her body could not produce insulin and allow
glucose to be used by her cells as energy. Because of this,
her body had to resort to using stored fat as energy.
When fat is used as energy, a by product is produced
called ketones. These ketones disrupt other body
systems and can cause complications such as severe
dehydration and swelling of the brain.
Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickled cells are sticky and clump together
forming clots in arteries of the body. When these clumps
form in the brain they can cause cerebral edema, or
swelling of the brain, which is a complication of
ketoacidosis.
Heart Disease/Hypercholesterolemia
Hypercholesterolemia increases the risk of
ketoacidosis. Hypercholesterolemia can cause high
blood pressure and lead to a lot of stress on your body.
Stress and anxiety are contributing factors to
ketoacidosis because other hormones can be released by
the body interfering with the function of insulin in the
body. This causes the body to result to fats as an energy
source producing excess amounts of ketones.
Urinary Tract Infection
Infections, such as a urinary tract infection, can
increase the risk or trigger ketoacidosis. Infections may
cause the body to produce excess hormones which may
interfere with insulins ability to do its job. When
insulin cant function properly, the body resorts to fats
for energy creating ketones as by product.
Short Term Prevention
Visit emergency room immediately
Insulin injection if early diagnosis
Flush and replace bodily fluids
Dilute blood sugar levels
Replace fluids lost through excess urination
Replace electrolytes
Usually lost due to excess insulin in blood
Insulin therapy to reduce blood sugar levels
Long Term Prevention
Manage diabetes
Eat health
Exercise
Monitor blood glucose levels at all times
Keep up with insulin injections
Monitor ketone levels during times of stress or illness
Know when and how to contact healthcare provider
Repeated abnormal blood sugar/ketone levels
Conclusion Questions
2. The pancreas, located in the digestive system, is supposed to produce important hormones like insulin. Because Anna
is a type 1 diabetic her digestive system failed her because her pancreas does not produce insulin. This led to her death
because her body had to use fats instead of glucose as energy sources, producing excess ketones in the blood and
resulting in ketoacidosis and her death. Her circulatory system also failed her. Anna had sickle cell anemia which
caused her RBCs to be sticky and form clots easily. This caused cerebral edema in her brain, a complication of
ketoacidosis, resulting in her death.
3. Most likely experienced nausea before her death because there was vomit found at the scene. She was most likely
experiencing thirst, fatigue, and perhaps dizziness due to her increased blood glucose levels. There were also small
abrasions found on her leg (Autopsy Report 6.1.2) indicating she must have been trying to inject insulin into her body.
Finally, she was probably experiencing frequent urination prior to her death.
4. An innovation that may have helped Anna would be an insulin pump that tracked glucose AND ketone levels at the
same time. This way, Anna would have known, without requesting a urine test and having to wait, that her blood ketone
levels were abnormally high.
5. Crime scene investigation would be interesting to learn about because it would be intriguing to solve a real life
mystery, collect evidence, and come up with a cause and/or manner of death for a tough case. I also would enjoy
something having to do with food science and nutrition because it would be beneficial to understand food labels and the
amount of energy you are receiving from certain foods. It would also be nice to be able to help and advise other people
of my findings in order to increase their health as well