Coronial
SAhospital

Coroner's Finding: CURTIN Roger

Deceased

Roger Curtin

Demographics

63y, male

Date of death

2015-09-01

Finding date

2019-04-15

Cause of death

metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma with chronic obstructive lung disease

AI-generated summary

Mr Curtin, a 63-year-old with metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma and severe COPD, was admitted to Repatriation General Hospital on 14 August 2015 with dyspnea and confusion. His condition deteriorated with delirium escalating to a Code Black on 29-30 August despite palliative care management. He was placed under a Mental Health Act Inpatient Treatment Order due to paranoid and aggressive behaviour. Sedation was implemented with agreement from both psychiatry and palliative care. He died on 1 September 2015. The coroner found no deficiency in care; his death was from natural causes. The case illustrates managing delirium in terminal cancer complicated by pre-existing psychiatric illness and the appropriate use of sedation in end-of-life care when behaviour becomes unmanageable despite medical optimisation.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.

Specialties

palliative carepsychiatryrespiratory medicineoncology

Drugs involved

olanzapinemorphineantibioticssteroids

Clinical conditions

metastatic non-small cell lung carcinomachronic obstructive pulmonary diseaselymphangitis carcinomatosadeliriumschizophrenia

Procedures

indwelling catheter

Contributing factors

  • advanced metastatic cancer with poor prognosis
  • severe COPD with emphysema
  • delirium secondary to terminal illness
  • schizophrenia complicated presentation during acute illness
Full text

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