Asphyxiation - Airway Obstruction
An Ada County Deputy Coroner was contacted by Ada Dispatch to respond to a retirement community where a 75 year old male was found deceased as the result of choking on food.
According to the nurse on duty at the retirement home, the resident always had three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a glass of wine, every night. They had prepared the sandwiches for him and had taken them to his room at approximately 2100 hrs. The resident’s roommate heard him fall on the floor, so he turned on his call light. A staff member responded to the call light and saw the resident laying on the floor. She called for the nurse to come to the room. The nurse responded and checked his pulse - no pulse was found - she stated he was cyanotic - she put her fingers in his mouth and was able to scoop peanut butter out of the mouth and back of the throat. She started CPR as another staff member called 911.
According to Ada County Paramedics, when they arrived, the decedent was not breathing - no heart rhythm was detected – intubation was very difficult due to airway being completely packed with the peanut butter. The code was called at 2130. The Boise Police Dept. and the Ada County Coroner’s office were contacted to respond.
The Deputy Coroner entered the subject’s room and saw him supine on the floor. He was fully clothed and had an intubation tube protruding from his mouth. Several parts of a sandwich were seen on the floor around the subject’s head. His fingers on the right hand were covered in peanut butter. It appeared he had been trying to get the peanut butter out of throat - lost consciousness from the occlusion of the airway and then fell on the floor. The Deputy examined the body and saw no other signs of foul play or trauma. The subject was then transported to the Ada County Coroner’s office for further examination by the Forensic Pathologist on duty.
Following a Forensic examination at the morgue, the Forensic Pathologist signed the death certificate as cause of death being: Asphyxiation due to Airway Obstruction of Food. Manner of death was Accident.