The Board found that the veteran's service-connected schizophrenia did not contribute substantially or materially to his death from Staphylococcus aureus sepsis. The medical evidence does not support a direct causal relationship between the veteran's schizophrenia and his cause of death.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that there was nothing in the material submitted that supported the contention that the veteran's schizophrenia contributed to or caused the veteran's death, as evidenced by the significant infection at any age following a valve replacement which inherently brought increased risks for complications and death.
- Claimed conditions
- Staphylococcus aureus sepsis, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus sepsis, mosaic bioprosthetic valve aortic valve replacement endocarditis secondary to group D Enterococcus, respiratory failure, clostridium difficile colitis, renal failure, hemoccult positive stool, thrombocytopenia, heparin induced thrombocytopenia intermediate, toxic metabolic encephalopathy, history of coronary artery disease, status post coronary artery bypass grafting, history of periodontal disease, stage 2 decubitus ulcer, chronic back pain, anasarca, recent non-Q wave myocardial infarction, Escherichia coli urinary tract infection, seizure disorder, decreased mobility, anemia of chronic disease, hypertension, degenerative joint disease, history of peripheral vascular disease, history of sternal wound dehiscence, status post wound closure flap, history of schizophrenia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2005
- Citation
- 0527545
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0527545.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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