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Cause of death revealed for 19-year-old Air Force Academy cadet found dead in her dorm room
ny post ^ | 10/05/2024 | By Lauren Elkies Schram

Posted on 10/05/2024 9:59:32 AM PDT by BenLurkin

Avery Koonce, 19, of Tyler, Texas, died Sept. 4 as the result of “paeniclostridium sordelli sepsis complicating parainfluenza laryngotraceobronchitis,” according to an autopsy report from the El Paso County Coroner’s Office.

“In essence she died of untreated pneumonia,” said famed forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, who reviewed the autopsy report obtained by The Post.

The coroner described paeniclostridium sordelli as a “relatively rare but potentially fatal anaerobic bacteria” that is “associated with a toxic shock-like syndrome that can rapidly progress to death.” But it was “secondary” to the parainfluenza — or viral lung infection — the coroner’s report found.

...

Koonce was a high school track star who was a member of the academy’s track and field team.

A sprinter at Thrall High School in Taylor, Texas, she ran 100 meters in 12.12 seconds and 200 meters in 25.67 seconds.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: airforce; airforceacademy; averykoonce; cadet; elpasocounty; koonce; pneumonia; taylor; texas; tyler
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1 posted on 10/05/2024 9:59:32 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Is this anything like the rapidity at which Muppet’s creator Jim Henson died of strep pneumonia, where he had been ill a day or so, realized he was much worse, got in a cab to the hospital but collapsed and died of massive organ failure sepsis in their ICU?


2 posted on 10/05/2024 10:03:22 AM PDT by desertsolitaire ( Lee Harvey Oswald and the Bands final performance)
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To: desertsolitaire

I don’t believe it. Young people don’t die from pneumonia so quickly. Pneumonia does not become life threatening so quickly.


3 posted on 10/05/2024 10:10:45 AM PDT by nwrep
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To: BenLurkin
 
 
In her first week of basic she suffered a concussion and was laid up for a while, but was determined to continue no matter what. Then this infection came along and she figured she could just power her way over it like everything else. That girl was very competitive and had more of the mindset of a Marine and always set out to adapt to and overcome whatever came at her. I know this because of me knowing people who knew her personally.
 
 

4 posted on 10/05/2024 10:11:35 AM PDT by lapsus calami (What's that stink? Code Pink ! ! And their buddy Murtha, too!)
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To: BenLurkin

The academy is not a place where a cadet living with pneumonia, is going to get the sleep needed.


5 posted on 10/05/2024 10:14:09 AM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: BenLurkin

Utterly incompetent and a failure of leadership if a cadet, dies of pneumonia in a dorm room. That means she was not seen by her chain of command for days. She has no roomate? Nobody? Nobody missed her at class and got her to sickbay?


6 posted on 10/05/2024 10:23:10 AM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: nwrep

I don’t recall even the Spanish flu 1918, 1919, progressing from onset to death so quickly, although that on was fast.


7 posted on 10/05/2024 10:23:41 AM PDT by desertsolitaire ( Lee Harvey Oswald and the Bands final performance)
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To: nwrep

Henson was in his early fifties, I believe.


8 posted on 10/05/2024 10:24:04 AM PDT by desertsolitaire ( Lee Harvey Oswald and the Bands final performance)
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To: lapsus calami

” Then this infection came along and she figured she could just power her way over it like everything else.”

That’s inspiring, but not her choice. Who was her direct cadet supervisor or NCO running her dorm? Nobody noticed her and ordered her to sickbay?

This is supposedly a military unit?


9 posted on 10/05/2024 10:25:28 AM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: nwrep

7-11 Days from onset of flu symptoms to death for 1918-19 Spanish flu. Death was from a secondary bacterial pneumonia in a client weakened by viral flu and the patients own immune system worked against them, with healthy adults dying more than the very young and old whose immune systems were either immature or weaker with age.


10 posted on 10/05/2024 10:28:31 AM PDT by desertsolitaire ( Lee Harvey Oswald and the Bands final performance)
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To: BenLurkin

That bacterium is also associated with Toxic Shock Syndrome...


11 posted on 10/05/2024 10:29:59 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: DesertRhino

A family member is in the military, living off base in a part of Georgia hit by the hurricane. No one in her unit ran a recall roster to check on the members of the squadron. No one in her command checked on their own people.

When I was in the military, that would have been reason to fire the commander. Today’s military is NOT “her father’s military”. Damn the bastards.

Note: She is doing fine and a nearby Baptist church DID contact her and offer help!


12 posted on 10/05/2024 10:30:31 AM PDT by Mr Rogers (We're a nation of feelings, not thoughts.)
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To: DesertRhino
 
 
Those are yet unanswered questions. She already had medical trouble and did not want to get washed out, yet regardless of that, for her own safety someone over her should have been on the initiative no matter what she wanted.
 
 

13 posted on 10/05/2024 10:31:03 AM PDT by lapsus calami (What's that stink? Code Pink ! ! And their buddy Murtha, too!)
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To: DesertRhino

Untreated or misdiagnosed?

Maybe she did see someone. The someone diagnosed viral and refused to prescribe antibiotics.

I wonder if the news reports, and possibly the Coroner’s report, have left quite a bit out.


14 posted on 10/05/2024 10:32:41 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: Mr Rogers
A family member is in the military, living off base in a part of Georgia hit by the hurricane. No one in her unit ran a recall roster to check on the members of the squadron. No one in her command checked on their own people.

That's pretty shocking. We are nowhere near the hurricane, but we ran a recall to determine if anyone in the unit might have been traveling to the area or had family members in the area we needed to check on.

15 posted on 10/05/2024 10:38:16 AM PDT by Gil4 (And the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, ax and saw)
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To: nwrep

“I don’t believe it. Young people don’t die from pneumonia so quickly. Pneumonia does not become life threatening so quickly.”

Pneumonia didn’t kill her. Paeniclostridium sordelli sepsis.


16 posted on 10/05/2024 10:48:19 AM PDT by TexasGator (l . . l / l / . l l . l).1 1 l l l l l " / . l l ( . 1 l l l . . l// l l l l)
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To: DesertRhino

See #16


17 posted on 10/05/2024 10:50:19 AM PDT by TexasGator (l . . l / l / . l l . l).1 1 l l l l l " / . l l ( . 1 l l l . . l// l l l l)
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To: mewzilla
Untreated or misdiagnosed?

Maybe she did see someone. The someone diagnosed viral and refused to prescribe antibiotics.

When I was in basic back in the stone ages of 1971, everybody had the lung crud. I held out until I couldn't swallow because of the sore throat caused by the coughing. Went on sick call and got diagnosed with "Upper respiratory infectious viral syndrome". Oh yeah, by the way you needed a yellow fever shot too. Bonus time. A bottle of turpen hydrate and three darvons and back to the squadron with a one day PC waiver.

I hacked up chunks of stuff for weeks but no way, was I going to get set back. That's the way it worked then and probably still does now.

18 posted on 10/05/2024 11:06:38 AM PDT by pfflier
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To: desertsolitaire

I know of two people who died of sepsis 48hrs after flu like symptoms. Coded in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. No comorbidities for one. One was just diagnosed with bladder cancer, biopsied on Monday died on Wednesday.


19 posted on 10/05/2024 11:10:37 AM PDT by griswold3 ( Robespierre and Pol Pot were “unburdened by what has been” Harris the "Year Zero" candidate)
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To: nwrep

How do you know it happened “quickly.” And, pneumonia can go septic really fast. THAT will kill you in hours.


20 posted on 10/05/2024 11:12:13 AM PDT by Vermont Lt (Don’t vote for anyone over 70 years old. Get rid of the geriatric politicians.)
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