Death Inquiry

Approximately 1/5 of 1% of patients under age 60 die of routine gall bladder surgery at New York Hospital.

It is believed that if the nurse, Min Chou, had summoned for help an hour before his death, Warhol would have survived.

Dr. Elliott Gross, the New York City Chief Medical Examiner, stated that Warhol had died of cardiac arrhythmia (i.e., irregular heart beat).

One theory is that Warhol was so scared of hospitals and surgery that he literally was scared to death. This is often referred to as 'voodoo death.'

No one knows exactly what contributed to Warhol's death. However, these problems are thought to be possibly responsible for his death:

• Private nurse, Min Chou, was not likely at his bedside when he stopped breathing.
• The medical staff did not obtain Warhol's complete medical records prior to his surgery, and the staff did not conduct proper testing prior to the surgery.
• The hospital staff were unaware of the fact that Warhol was allergic to penicillin, and they gave him Cefoxitin, a drug known to cause similar allergic reactions.
• The hospital staff failed to replace a malfunctioning suction device which controlled fluid intake and urine output. As a result, Warhol became over-hydrated.