(L.A.) Karla Alvarado, 25, Died in a Hospital

Case Number: 2024-15593

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 25-year-old Hispanic female that occurred in a hospital.

The coroner’s office has identified the woman as Karla Alvarado.

Manner of Death: Accident

Cause of Death A: Intraoperative Cardiac Dysrhythmia

Cause of Death B: Complications of Anesthesia

Other Significant Conditions: Biventricular Dilation of the Heart; Obesity; Sleep Apnea

RIP KARLA ALVARADO (May 6, 1999 – October 2, 2024)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Wednesday at 1:46 p.m.

The described cause of death is potentially iatrogenic. Intraoperative cardiac dysrhythmia as the primary cause of death, with complications of anesthesia as a contributing factor, strongly suggests an iatrogenic event.

Intraoperative arrhythmias are common during anesthesia, occurring in up to 70% of patients undergoing general anesthesia. Anesthetic agents themselves can be arrhythmogenic, affecting normal cardiac electrical activity. Additionally, various factors associated with anesthesia, such as endotracheal intubation, autonomic nervous stimulation, and electrolyte imbalances, can trigger arrhythmias.

Complications of anesthesia as a secondary cause further supports the possibility of an iatrogenic event. Anesthetic medications can interfere with cardiovascular performance through direct myocardial depression or modification of cardiovascular control mechanisms.

The presence of biventricular dilation of the heart as an underlying condition may have increased the patient’s susceptibility to arrhythmias and complications from anesthesia. Patients with underlying structural heart disease are at higher risk of developing fatal arrhythmias during the perioperative period.

While not all intraoperative arrhythmias are preventable or directly caused by medical intervention, the combination of factors presented suggests that this death could be considered iatrogenic, resulting from medical treatment or procedures.