in 2011, somebody died

When I arrived at work yesterday, I was sat down by our practice manager and told about the events of last Friday. A patient died on the premises, right in the middle of afternoon surgery. Worse, it was a man of only 40. This is the first time this has occurred in over 30 years of general practice. Apparently he came in without an appointment complaining of chest pain, but then his condition deteriorated whilst waiting to see the doctor. It gets worse.

Then, announcing that he suddenly had to move his bowels, he staggered to the downstairs toilet where he locked himself in. Agonised screams were subsequently heard emanating fromn the cubicle. They had to shoulder the door down, and found him dying on the floor, caked in faeces. This is not infrequently an agonal (ie pre-death) phenomenon, though it had to be ignored while the doctor and nurse struggled to revive him. But the trace on the de-fibrillator showed asystole, or zero heart activity, so there was no point in shocking him to re-start the heart; indeed, the machine is set to prevent any shock being given if this type of trace is picked up.

3 days later, the desperate events were still casting a shadow over all the staff and they can now talk of little else. The doctor at the time wisely closed the surgery afterwards, to the approval of all but one of the patients waiting. He plaintively cried:
"I need to be seen today! After all, I've got chest pains too (he didn't) and I could die"
He was ignored and sent on his way.
We do not yet know the cause of death: it could indeed have been an MI (Myocardial Infarction, or heart attack if you will), though pulmonary embolism or dissection of the aorta (where the major artery of the body simply unzips itself, leading to rapid exsanguination) are also possibilities. But we can be sure of one thing: there will be an inquest, with all present being required to attend. And me? The first thing I thought when I was being told the dreadful story: Thank God it didn't happen on my watch...