Coroner's Finding: McMAHON Gary Michael
Deceased
Gary Michael McMahon
Demographics
63y, male
Date of death
2005-01-05
Finding date
2006-01-24
Cause of death
pancreatic carcinoma
AI-generated summary
Gary Michael McMahon, aged 63, died of pancreatic carcinoma at Royal Adelaide Hospital on 5 January 2005 while detained under the Mental Health Act. He was admitted following collapse at home with a history of diabetes, alcohol abuse, and self-harm. Initial assessment identified frontal lobe encephalopathy and behavioural disturbance warranting detention. A frontal meningioma was subsequently diagnosed; neurosurgery was planned but deferred due to electrolyte abnormalities. Terminal pancreatic cancer with liver metastases was later discovered, leading to palliative care only. The coroner found detention was lawful and the deceased received appropriate care. This case highlights the complexity of managing patients with concurrent neurological, psychiatric, and malignant conditions, and the importance of ongoing reassessment of treatment plans when new diagnoses emerge.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- advanced pancreatic cancer with liver metastases
- frontal lobe meningioma
- cognitive impairment
- history of alcohol abuse
- poor overall prognosis limiting treatment options
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