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Coroner says Richard Branson's wife died from preventable blood clot
foxnews.com • • health
Key Points:
- Lady Joan Branson, wife of Richard Branson, died from a pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after a fall on Necker Island, with a British coroner finding her death likely preventable through anticoagulant medication.
- The coroner noted Lady Branson was at very high risk for DVT due to immobility after her fracture but did not receive blood thinners during hospitalization, contributing to her death.
- Doctors at the inquest gave conflicting testimony on whether bleeding risks justified withholding the blood thinner enoxaparin, and the admitting doctor admitted to not completing a bleeding risk assessment.
- Blood thinners are critical in preventing DVT and pulmonary embolisms in immobile hospitalized patients, though they carry bleeding risks that doctors must balance carefully.
- The Branson family declined to comment on the inquest, while medical experts emphasized the importance of early recognition and treatment of DVT and pulmonary embolism symptoms to save lives.
