When 33-year-old Sydney resident and physicist Dr. Peter Domachuk died in 2012, just days after being sent home from Hornsby Hospital, his family sensed something wrong. He was admitted to the hospital for fatigue and abdominal pain. Sadly, soon after he was discharged, he died.

Domachuk’s family pushed for an inquiry which led to another case of Ms. Jessica Martin who died in 2009 after losing approximately 20 kilos off her already thin frame. Surprisingly, Ms. Martin too died few days after being discharged from Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney's eastern suburbs. She was admitted due to chest pain and died of a heart attack.

Finally, the inquest into the deaths have revealed that they died because of undiagnosed Addison’s disease. The court has warned all NSW doctors to be extra-cautious about the fatal disease. The NSW government will issue safety guidelines in all local health districts across the state, reports ABC News.

Solicitor Warwick Anderson praised the Domachuk family for pushing the inquiry to raise awareness of Addison’s disease. He said it is difficult to diagnose but once the symptoms arise and are detected, the problem can be taken care of.

“The more awareness that comes to our hospitals and emergency clinicians, and those treating people in hospital, the better,” Anderson added.

On Wednesday, Carmel Forbes, Deputy State Coroner said that only one medical registrar suspected that Dr. Domachuk may have had the rare metabolic disease. However, this was not documented properly and was also not communicated to other hospital staff, reports Herald Sun. A cortisol test that may have detected the disease was performed but not reviewed as he was released from the hospital after his condition improved.

When asked to comment on Ms. Martin’s death, Forbes said that she received proper treatment and medical care. However, she also added that more can be done to prevent similar deaths.

“I recommend that the NSW Ministry of Health consider publishing a patient safety watch to local health districts with the aim of increasing awareness of the potentially catastrophic outcome of undiagnosed adrenal insufficiency, Addison's disease,” Forbes said.

Ms. Martin was told that she was suffering from viral pleurisy and was asked to take anti-inflammatory drugs, before her death. Ms Martin had all the tests done that came back clear. No one suspected she would die a few days later.

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