Coronial
SAhospital

Coroner's Finding: Larchin, John

Deceased

John Larchin

Demographics

87y, male

Date of death

2019-07-20

Finding date

2022-08-15

Cause of death

infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive lung disease

AI-generated summary

An 87-year-old man with a long smoking history and no prior diagnosis of lung disease suffered a hip fracture requiring surgery. Postoperatively, he developed delirium and hypoxia. Two Inpatient Treatment Orders were appropriately made to enable medical treatment including oxygen therapy and monitoring. Chest imaging subsequently revealed emphysema and signs of infection. He deteriorated despite antibiotics and non-invasive ventilation, ultimately dying from infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The coroner found the ITOs were necessary, lawful, and appropriate. Key learning: elderly patients with significant smoking histories may have undiagnosed lung disease presenting acutely postoperatively; early recognition of hypoxia and appropriate escalation to ICU was undertaken correctly.

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

Specialties

orthopaedic surgerypsychiatryintensive careanaesthesiarespiratory medicine

Drugs involved

haloperidolnaloxoneopioidsantibiotics

Clinical conditions

chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseemphysemapostoperative deliriumhypoxiarespiratory tract infectionhip fractureatrial fibrillationchronic kidney disease stage 2

Procedures

left hip hemiarthroplastychest X-raynon-invasive ventilation

Contributing factors

  • undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • long smoking history (10 cigarettes per day until 1995)
  • postoperative delirium and agitation
  • hypoxia complicating surgical recovery
  • respiratory infection (emphysema with infective change)
Full text

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