Finding into death of Lorinda Stacey Ruff
Deceased
Lorinda Stacey Ruff
Demographics
55y, female
Date of death
2019-10-05
Finding date
2021-07-21
Cause of death
Complications of metastatic colorectal carcinoma
AI-generated summary
Lorinda Ruff, a 55-year-old woman with intellectual disability and bipolar disorder, died from complications of metastatic colorectal carcinoma. She presented to her GP on 29 July 2019 with three days of appetite loss and suspected abdominal pain, exhibiting low blood pressure, low pulse, and abdominal tenderness. She was referred to ED and admitted to ICU with septic shock and bowel obstruction. CT imaging revealed colon cancer with hepatic metastases. She underwent emergency proctolectomy on 31 July, complicated by bacteraemia and wound breakdown. After initial recovery, she developed acute illness with bowel obstruction and agitation. Palliative care was initiated and she died in October 2019. The coroner found the disability support services provided by Life Without Barriers were reasonable and appropriate. Care staff should have been alert to pain expression difficulties in patients with intellectual disability, though early presentation and advanced disease likely determined outcome.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- Advanced colorectal cancer with hepatic metastases at presentation
- Septic shock and bowel obstruction at admission
- Post-operative complications including bacteraemia and surgical wound breakdown
- Recurrent bowel obstruction requiring palliative care approach
Coroner's recommendations
- Life Without Barriers to improve communication between the group home and day services
- Life Without Barriers to review quality of recordkeeping in group home residents' file notes
- Life Without Barriers to educate staff on importance of written communication between house and day services
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