Community Acquired Pneumonia and Drug Intoxication Killed Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy‘s official cause of death was revealed by the coroner today.  Her death has been deemed “preventable” by the L.A. County Coroner.

Murphy was killed by severe anemia and community acquired pneumonia. Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a disease in which individuals who have not recently been hospitalized develop an infection of the lungs (pneumonia).

CAP is a common illness and can affect people of all ages. It can cause problems like difficulty in breathing, fever, chest pains, and a cough. CAP occurs because the areas of the lung which absorb oxygen (alveoli) from the atmosphere become filled with fluid and cannot work effectively.

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Health officials believe Brittany Murphy could have survived if she had received treatment in time.  Several prescription and over-the-counter medications were found in her system, which may have contributed to but did not cause her sudden demise.

Murphy, 32 and star of “Clueless”, was found unresponsive in the bathroom of her Hollywood Hills home on December 20.  She later died despite frantic attempts by her husband, Simon Monjack, and her mother, Sharon Murphy, to revive her.

Simon and Sharon told investigators Murphy had been experiencing flu-like symptoms in the days before she died and had laryngitis, which she treated with herbal tea, ginger, and lemon.

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