Finding into death of Ralph James McCracken
Deceased
Ralph James McCracken
Demographics
65y, male
Date of death
2011-04-03
Finding date
2011-11-29
Cause of death
complications of end stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
AI-generated summary
Ralph James McCracken, aged 65, died from complications of end-stage COPD following a complex hospital admission. He presented with acute limb ischaemia requiring femoral embolectomy, subsequently developed compartment syndrome, pancolitis with sigmoid perforation requiring subtotal colectomy, and experienced recurrent infections including pseudomonas chest infection. He deteriorated despite appropriate multidisciplinary care involving colorectal, gastroenterology, general medical, and psychiatry teams. A lung abscess and worsening pneumonia contributed to his final decline. The coroner found his care and management was reasonable and appropriate, with no preventability identified. This case highlights the complexity of managing multiple post-operative complications in elderly patients with underlying COPD and the importance of coordinated multidisciplinary care.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- recurrent chest infections including pseudomonas
- lung abscess
- pneumonia
- poor nutritional intake
- reduced mobility
- underlying emphysema
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