Deceased
Ruby Blitner
Demographics
7y, female
Date of death
2016-07-26
Finding date
2017-08-10
Cause of death
respiratory failure from severe scoliosis due to Murray Valley encephalitis
AI-generated summary
Ruby Blitner died from respiratory failure secondary to severe scoliosis caused by Murray Valley encephalitis acquired at age two. Her clinical course involved progressive respiratory compromise, recurrent aspiration pneumonia, and progressive spinal deformity. The coroner found that the care, supervision and treatment provided to Ruby was appropriate. A Do Not Attempt Resuscitation order had been established after discussion with family in October 2015, restricting interventions to oxygen, suctioning, antibiotics and physiotherapy without intubation or mechanical ventilation. On admission with aspiration pneumonia on 25 July 2016, she deteriorated rapidly with respiratory and renal failure despite appropriate initial management. No clinical errors were identified. Administrative issues concerning police investigation delays and departmental file accessibility were noted but addressed through improved processes.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Clinical conditions
Procedures
4y · Male·Haemophilus influenzae septicaemia with superimposed respiratory tract infection
A 4-year-old previously healthy male presented to Katherine Regional Hospital on 10 September 2023 with fever and eye pain. He was examined, found to have tachycardia (HR 156) and fever (39.2°C), and diagnosed with viral…
0y · Male·Trisomy 21 with complex cardiac anomalies complicated by pulmonary hypertension,…
Baby G, born with Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) and complex cardiac anomalies, died at Royal Darwin Hospital on 18 March 2023 aged 6 months. The coroner found that non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) should have been offer…
15y · Female·complications of Batten disease (CLN3)
Damilia Kelly Holmes, a 15-year-old Aboriginal girl, died from complications of Batten disease (CLN3) while in palliative care. She was in out-of-home care under the Territory Families and Housing (TFHC) and was loved an…
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. Some material may have been redacted or restricted by court order or privacy requirements. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction — report an inaccuracy here.