Thrombosis deaths preventable: SA coroner

A coroner has criticised a scoring system used by doctors to diagnose deep vein thrombosis after it contributed to two fatal cases being missed.

Deputy South Australian Coroner Anthony Schapel says doctors shouldn't place undue reliance on the Wells Score System and is calling for better guidelines to help doctors diagnose DVTs.

His comments came after an inquest into the deaths in 2012 of 52-year-old Philip John Byrne and 63-year-old Jacqueline Weaver.

Both died from complications resulting from DVTs that first presented as lower leg pain.

In both cases the pain was put down to other factors.

But Mr Schapel said the Wells Score did not consider key risk factors - Ms Weaver had travelled on a long-haul flight a few months before her death and Mr Byrne had a previous history of a DVT.

He said the cautious and necessary approach in each case should have been to order ultrasound imaging.

"It would have prevented these deaths," the coroner said.