When Almost Every Treatment Failed: Medical Reality of the Mushroom Poisonings

In this extra episode, we go through testimony at Erin Patterson’s murder trial. Professor Stephen Warillo from The Austin Hospital in Melbourne reveals the devastating details of how three victims died from organ failure despite maximum medical intervention after allegedly consuming death cap mushrooms. The Erin Patterson murder trial hears how Donald and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died while Ian Wilkinson narrowly escaped death following the suspected mushroom poisoning at a family lunch.

• Donald Patterson suffered "severe liver injury and severe liver failure" before receiving a liver transplant that ultimately failed
• Heather Wilkinson was deemed too unwell for a transplant as her condition was "not survivable"
• Ian Wilkinson, the sole survivor, received a liver transplant and slowly recovered despite doctors believing he would die
• Gail Patterson experienced advanced organ failure with her liver "essentially not working at all"
• Medical teams attempted extraordinary measures including plasma exchange and vitamin C treatments
• All three victims experienced multiple organ failure described as "refractory" to treatment

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Chapters

• 0:00 The shocking court testimony
• 0:26 Introduction to the trial case
• 1:40 Donald Patterson's medical battle
• 5:31 Heather and Ian Wilkinson's outcomes
• 8:29 Gail Patterson's decline
• 10:15 Episode closing and information

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

During Erin Patterson's triple murder trial last week, there was a moment where many just froze in shock. Intensive care specialist Professor Stephen Warillo was giving evidence about the efforts at the Austin Hospital to save the lives of those who attended the mushroom lunch. It was a confronting and raw testimony, but mostly it was sad, devastatingly sad. Welcome to a bonus edition of the Mushroom Murder Trial Podcast. I'm Lisa and I've been reporting every day of this trial. It's 3am here and I figure I'd rather report this episode. It's much better than tossing and turning all night. Now just a refresher. The defendant is Erin Trudy Patterson, age 50, of Leangatha in Victoria. The charges are three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, and the plea is not guilty. She's saying that it was a terrible accident, but at the heart of this case is also the four lunch attendees, three of whom died. On July 29, 2023, during a family gathering, ms Patterson allegedly served a homemade beef wellington containing the deadly toxins from the death cap mushroom. Within days, three members died Don and Gail Patterson, both aged 70, and Heather Wilkinson, who is aged 66. Her husband, ian, fell critically ill but survived.

Speaker 1: 1:38

Now I'm going to read in detail some of what we heard in the Supreme Court of Victoria last week. Just a warning, it's graphic at times. Now we're talking about Donald Patterson here, when he arrived at the Austin Hospital and the prosecutor is asking the professor questions about it. Prosecutor, what was Donald Patterson's condition when he arrived at the Austin? Professor, he was critically ill and in multiple organ failure. I can go into more detail, prosecutor. Perhaps there were various blood tests which indicated he was critically unwell. Professor, yes, so we identified that he's had a severe liver injury and severe liver failure. Measurement of specific substance in the blood, such as, were extremely high, consistent with a severe or massive liver injury. We also saw his blood clotting. Measurements were grossly abnormal, consistent with liver failure, and he had a range of other abnormalities, including a buildup of acid in the blood and a buildup of ammonia in the blood.

Speaker 1: 2:53

Was Donald Patterson receiving various treatments when he arrived at the Austin? Yes, he was. Our colleagues at Dandenong had already commenced a range of treatments to try and help support him. Was he sedated and intubated? That's correct. Yes, so in an induced coma he was on a breathing machine, so on life support, ventilation with a tube down into his windpipe through his mouth and receiving medication to assist his comfort during that time.

Speaker 1: 3:28

Now were various tests carried out to try and pinpoint the cause of Donald's acute liver failure, and they go into some tests here, as well as some imaging and ultrasounds, to try and test for specific viruses that can cause liver failure, to try and make sure there wasn't another possible cause for why he was so sick During that period. Was something called an ileus suspected? Yes, it's a medical term where the bowel is extremely unwell and essentially stops working. The normal function of the bowel ceases. Did Donald Patterson undergo surgery on August 4, 2023? He did.

Speaker 1: 4:12

After extensive consultation with a range of senior specialists, it was thought that the only possibility of saving his life was through a liver transplant. Did that occur? Yes, there was an effort to undertake and complete a liver transplant. After the liver transplant was carried out, did Donald Patterson's condition improve? No, he got relentlessly worse, unfortunately. Was it recognised through the day that Donald Patterson was dying despite maximal therapy? Yes, all our treatments had unfortunately failed and help was dying despite all of the measures that we were applying. Did clinicians conclude that no other treatment options would help Donald and this was non-survivable for him? We had no other treatments to offer. There was no other therapies and it was so. Yeah, he was dying. And did he ultimately pass away? At 11.30pm on the 5th of August? That's what I recall. Yes, and that was due to refractory multiple organ secondary to acute liver failure due to clinically diagnosed mushroom poisoning.

Speaker 1: 5:31

Now we're going to move on to Heather Wilkinson, and the prosecutor asks how was her condition by August 2 2023? She had a rapidly progressive deterioration of her multiple organ failure. Was a decision made to list her for an emergency liver liver transplant? There were discussions about whether it would be possible. Yes, was it possible? Ultimately, no, she was too unwell to undergo the complex and extensive surgery required for a liver transplant. It was very apparent that this is not survivable. Did she ultimately pass away? She did. That was at 2.05pm on the 4th of August 2023. And now we're moving on to Ian Wilkinson.

Speaker 1: 6:26

He also arrived at the Austin Hospital on the 1st of August. He was the fourth of the patients to arrive. Yes, he was the fourth and the last. Did you receive a similar clinical history for Ian Wilkinson's presentation as you'd done for Don Gail and Heather? Yes, it was very similar for Ian. He had also been to Leangatha Hospital, that's correct. On the 4th of August. He underwent a surgical procedure that day.

Speaker 1: 7:00

We were worried that there might be an involving intra-abdominal catastrophe, such as ischemic bowel or a deep gut. Was undertaken to assess that and what diagnostic procedure was performed? Correct and what did you find? No significant bowel pathology, no significant abnormalities in the bowel. How did Ian's condition change over the next few days the 5th, the 6th and the 7th of August? There was some slow but important improvement over the next couple of days. Did he continue to improve over the days that followed? Yes, it was very slow because he was coming out of an extremely critical illness, but he did slightly improve over that time. Yes, was he discharged from the ICU ward on the 21st of August? Yes, he was discharged to a rehab ward at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital on the 11th of September and he was eventually discharged home. Yes, how close did Ian Wilkinson come to dying? We thought he was going to die. It's very close and Ian was actually given a liver transplant as well, like Don. So now we're moving on to Gail's treatment.

Speaker 1: 8:29

July 31,. Her condition deteriorated July 31. Her condition deteriorated severely. By the 1st of August. She was rapidly deteriorating. She had was in an advanced state of organ failure, with her organs essentially shutting down and she was in a state of advanced shock, as they did for Donald. Did commissions commence some additional treatments for Gail at the time, including vitamin C and the plasma exchange? Yes, that's correct.

Speaker 1: 9:05

Again, they're asking about the 2nd of August. She remained extremely unwell to the point where, from a clinical perspective, her liver essentially was not working at all. Did she continue to have watery diarrhea? She did at the time, I believe. Did she continue to receive maximal treatment and therapy? She did. She was on everything we had. Yes, did they consider an emergency liver transplant for Gail? There was a lot of discussion about whether it was possible to undertaking her, given the advanced state of her multiple organ failure. So it was considered yes, but she ultimately did not have a liver transplant the view, the consensus of opinion of all the experts and at dandy nong it became apparent she was developing an acute liver injury which is so sick, which is why she was transferred to the Austin as well.

Speaker 1: 9:59

On the 3rd and 4th of August. Gail's condition continued to decline? Yes, she progressively became further unwell. Gail ultimately passed away at 5.55pm on August 4, 2023. What we heard there in that sample from the transcript was a devastating and chilling account from the law courts at Morwell. Thank you for listening. It was a difficult episode to do, but for more information, visit my website. Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter, mushroommurdertrialcom. My socials are in the show notes and have a great Monday and I shall speak to you soon. Thanks, bye.