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What Causes Death With Blood From Mouth?

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Posted on Mon, 2 Jun 2014
Question: Hi Drs my friend died last week aged 40 nearly 41. A preliminary autopsy showed nothing immediately obvious as the cause of death. Waiting for toxicology tests. He was found sitting upright in a chair with a large amount of blood in front of him and blood was in his mouth. He was not found until a day or maybe nearly two days after he died. He had previously had leukemia but had been in remission for 7 years. He also had hep C and had a history of drug use but no needle marks were found. He was on methodone but he did take some prescription drugs recreationally such as xanax and valium style drugs. I thought if he had a stroke, blood clot or heart attack that the signs would be obvious. Do you think that he died of a drug overdose or do they need to wait for tissue samples to find a clot ? He was my best friend so I am desperate to know if I could have helped him if I was there. Thanks very muchXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Behar Greca (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Leukemia and Hepatitis C...

Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for posting.

I have gone through your query and I understand your concerns.
I am very sorry for what happened.

The highest probability is that your friend death is caused by Leukemia.
Hemorrhage is a complication of Leukemia and it is caused by the low platelet count.(Platelet are cells that prevent hemorrhage)

Hepatitis C is a factor that has aggravated Leukemia. Hepatitis C is a disease that causes liver injury. Liver injury reduce vitamin K production.
Vitamin K is a vitamin that prevents hemorrhage, too.

Both these disease have caused your friend's death. Leukemia is the main cause and Hepatitis C is a factor that has aggravated hemorrhage.

Hemorrhage that is caused by these diseases has caused the death.

Ask me for anything unclear.

Dr. Behar.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Behar Greca (16 hours later)
Hi Dr Behar,
XXXXXXX had only just been given the all clear for leukemia by his oncologists a few weeks earlier. He was told that as it had been over 7 years since he had it, that he only had the same chance of getting it again as the rest of the population. His oncologist was shocked by his death.

Also I have read that if a body is not found for awhile that blood etc can burst out of the dead person's mouth. Is this common?

Thanks very much XXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Behar Greca (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
From time to time Leukemia causes attacks...

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for writing back.

In the most common cases Leukemia is a non-curable disease, but when someone suffers from this disease he/she has remission(improvement) periods and deterioration periods.
Remission period can last from 7-10 years. I rare cases it lasts for more than 10 years.
However from time to time patients can have attacks. And I think that your friend has had an attack that is manifested with hemorrhage.

Hepatitis C has also aggravated hemorrhage.

Both these disease(Hepatitis C and Leukemia) have caused your friend's death.

What you have read is not possible because hemorrhage from mouth is not caused by a natural death(natural causes).

If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer.

Dr. Behar.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Behar Greca (22 hours later)
XXXXXXX had no signs of hemorrhage or stroke or heart attack. His blood count was normal weeks before so I fail to see how he could be in an acute stage of leukemia within weeks of being told that he was fine.

His body was left for nearly two days and bodies absolutely can spurt blood and other fluids out of orifices after death. I know this is true, I was asking how common it is but it seems that this site can not give me any useful information as you didn't even bother to ask which form of leukemia he had before stating that it was the cause. Only so much you can do online I guess but I know that the oncologist was shocked by his death.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Behar Greca (6 hours later)
Brief Answer:
I have explained below...

Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for writing back.

The highest probability is that he died from Lukemia complications, more exactly from Chronic myelogenous leukemia(CML).

Patients that suffer from leukemia can die from:
- Different infections.
- Hemorrhage. Hemorrhage is visible on hearing organs, on eyes and on nervous system. But sometimes it is invisible.
- Anemia that is caused by Leukemia.
- Leukemia strokes that sometimes is considered as Acute Leukemia.

But you said that blood count was normal and this means that anemia isn’t the cause.
You also said that your friend had no signs of hemorrhage and strokes and this means that hemorrhage and strokes aren’t the cause of death.

Then the probability is that your friend died from an infection, because he suffered from Leukemia and due to this disease he has had a low immune system. And when the immune system is low then it is very easy for the patients to get infections.

However the exact cause of death is found by autopsy.

Dr. Behar.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
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Answered by
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Dr. Behar Greca

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1992

Answered : 621 Questions

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What Causes Death With Blood From Mouth?

Brief Answer: Leukemia and Hepatitis C... Detailed Answer: Hi, thank you for posting. I have gone through your query and I understand your concerns. I am very sorry for what happened. The highest probability is that your friend death is caused by Leukemia. Hemorrhage is a complication of Leukemia and it is caused by the low platelet count.(Platelet are cells that prevent hemorrhage) Hepatitis C is a factor that has aggravated Leukemia. Hepatitis C is a disease that causes liver injury. Liver injury reduce vitamin K production. Vitamin K is a vitamin that prevents hemorrhage, too. Both these disease have caused your friend's death. Leukemia is the main cause and Hepatitis C is a factor that has aggravated hemorrhage. Hemorrhage that is caused by these diseases has caused the death. Ask me for anything unclear. Dr. Behar.