Small bowel perforation complicating small bowel obstruction arising from intra-abdominal adhesions
AI-generated summary
Agostino Cutugno, a 57-year-old prisoner with intellectual disability (IQ 55) and history of self-inflicted abdominal stab wounds, died from small bowel perforation complicating obstruction due to intra-abdominal adhesions. Care was fragmented across five locations over 19 days with multiple teams managing his condition. Key clinical lesson: prisoners with cognitive disabilities require early family involvement to provide medical history context and support decision-making. The coroner found medical teams provided reasonable care despite communication challenges, but highlighted systemic gaps in ensuring family access during emergencies. Medical management of the obstruction, bleeding, and surgical interventions were appropriate, but family visiting restrictions in ICU initially prevented access when family input was clinically valuable.
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Specialties
general surgeryintensive caregastroenterologyvascular surgeryforensic medicinecorrectional health
Error types
communicationsystem
Drugs involved
proton pump inhibitors
Clinical conditions
small bowel obstructionsmall bowel perforationintra-abdominal adhesionsgastrointestinal haemorrhageerosive gastritishepatic cirrhosissepsisintellectual disability
Atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease
Intra-abdominal adhesions likely from remote self-inflicted stab wounds and splenectomy
Fragmented care across multiple healthcare facilities
Communication difficulties due to intellectual disability
Limited family access during critical illness
Coroner's recommendations
Corrections Victoria develop procedures to ensure that, where prisoners have cognitive disabilities or communication difficulties, their families and carers are promptly granted access to visit them during times when those prisoners require medical care
Corrections Victoria engage with G4S to ensure that these procedures are put in place for prisoners being treated at St Vincent's Hospital
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