Finding into death of Thelma Annie Ogilvy
Deceased
Thelma Annie Ogilvy
Demographics
90y, female
Date of death
2019-11-02
Finding date
2023-05-30
Cause of death
abdominal sepsis complicating perforated diverticular abscess of the sigmoid colon
AI-generated summary
Thelma Annie Ogilvy, a 90-year-old woman from rural Victoria, died from abdominal sepsis complicating a perforated diverticular abscess. She presented with bowel obstruction requiring laparotomy on 21 October 2019, was discharged on 30 October appearing recovered, then re-presented on 31 October with signs of infection. She was transferred to Dandenong Hospital on 1 November but deteriorated rapidly on 2 November, suffering cardiac arrest and death at 5:33pm. The coroner found her medical management by both West Gippsland Healthcare Group and Monash Health was reasonable and appropriate. While delays occurred in securing transfer (28 hours), these did not contribute to her death as she remained clinically stable throughout. The autopsy revealed peritonitis with pus from perforated sigmoid diverticular abscess. The coroner concluded her death was not preventable despite appropriate medical care, noting her significant comorbidities and frailty made recovery less likely following major surgery.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- perforated diverticular abscess
- post-operative complication following laparotomy
- NSTEMI sustained on second presentation
- atrial flutter
- significant comorbidities and frailty
- delayed recognition of perforation
Coroner's recommendations
- Monash Health review its processes to ensure timely notification of referring hospitals and doctors with regard to patient outcomes
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