Blood clot lead to death (From Gazette Series)

Blood clot lead to death

A LUNCHTIME game of volleyball at work with colleagues led to the death of a 43-year-old dad, an inquest heard on Wednesday.

Philip Johnson fell awkwardly during the game and suffered a calf muscle injury which led to him developing the "indescribably rare" blood clot that killed him.

The injury created a deep vein thrombosis which broke off and circulated around his body, reaching the lungs and causing the fatal pulmonary embolism, the Gloucester inquest was told.

Mr Johnson, of Woodfield Road, Dursley, had told doctors that during the volleyball game on April 28 he jumped to block a shot and it felt like he had been shot in the back of the leg, when he landed.

The following day his calf muscle was badly swollen and doctors told him they believed he had a muscle tear and recommended rest, ice, compression and elevation.

On May 9, just ten days later, Mr Johnson was found collapsed in the bath and by the time he was rushed to hospital he had died.

Mr Johnson, who worked for Axa in Filton, Bristol, was meant to be accompanying his wife and children on a holiday just two days later.

The court heard that locum GP Hugh van't Hoff was concerned there might have been a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) on April 29 but after consultation with a physiotherapist the diagnosis was clinically dismissed - he never discussed the possibility with Mr Johnson.

Mr Stephen McCabe, consultant at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital A&E department, said efforts had been made to revive Mr Johnson on his way to hospital.

"It is indescribably rare for a blood clot as big as this to have come from an injury to the calf muscle," he said.

"There is no reported case of anybody having a calf muscle tear and dying from a blood clot on the lung."

Pathologist Professor Neil Shepherd said the cause of death was a pulmonary embolism caused by DVT.

Dr Adam Rye, an expert haematologist said it was not unreasonable for DVT not to have been entertained as a diagnosis by medical staff considering the symptoms.

Gloucester Coroner Alan Crickmore said: "From the evidence it is clear that the turn of events that led to his death started from a relatively innocuous injury on the volleyball court."

Verdict: Accidental Death