Demographics
82y, male
Date of death
2022-05-14
Finding date
2024-08-05
Cause of death
Self-inflicted partial contact shotgun wound of the head
AI-generated summary
An 82-year-old man with recently diagnosed myeloma died by self-inflicted shotgun wound. He had undergone intensive chemotherapy causing significant deterioration in physical health, mental state, and independence. Six weeks before death, he required tooth extraction due to treatment toxicity, followed by further surgery for retained fragments. He sustained a fractured collarbone one week prior, further limiting mobility. In January, he told his GP the treatment made him feel 'terrible' and he'd 'rather be dead,' but no formal suicide risk assessment or mental health referral was documented. No communication occurred between treating oncologists and his GP regarding psychological impact of treatment. The coroner noted absence of a pathway for medical professionals to notify firearms authorities of suicide risk, which could have enabled firearm removal. Clinical lessons include: systematically assessing suicide risk in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy; documenting and acting on expressions of hopelessness; coordinating care between specialists and primary care; and considering means restriction in high-risk patients.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Clinical conditions
Procedures
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