Deceased
Matthew Richard Thomas Biggin
Demographics
36y, male
Coroner
Deputy State Coroner Paresa Spanos
Date of death
2022-01-23
Finding date
2023-03-27
Cause of death
T-Lymphoblastic Leukaemia/Lymphoma (T-ALL)
AI-generated summary
Matthew Biggin, a 36-year-old man with severe intellectual disability, died from T-lymphoblastic leukaemia after a 5-month illness. In August 2021, he presented with cough, throat pain and fatigue but was not fully assessed by a locum doctor. In September, persistent coughing prompted telehealth consultation and antibiotics, but symptoms continued. Chest X-ray revealed pleural effusion, leading to hospital referral and leukaemia diagnosis. Given his severe intellectual disability and inability to tolerate chemotherapy, he was admitted to palliative care in October 2021 and died in January 2022. This case highlights the importance of complete clinical assessment despite communication difficulties in intellectually disabled patients, and ensuring thorough evaluation of respiratory symptoms that don't resolve with initial treatment.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Procedures
87y · Female·Complications of head injuries and left proximal femur fracture sustained in a f…
An 87-year-old woman with Parkinson's disease sustained an unwitnessed fall at a residential aged care facility, resulting in head injuries and a hip fracture. Critical clinical lessons emerged: (1) neurological observat…
25y · Male·Combined drug toxicity
Harrison William Ladd, 25, died from combined drug toxicity involving clonazepam, dexamphetamine, codeine, diazepam and pholcodine. He had complex mental health and substance use disorder requiring specialist addiction c…
34y · Female·Combined drug toxicity (gabapentin, oxycodone, tramadol, diazepam, citalopram, d…
A 34-year-old woman with complex medical history including chronic pain, sleep disorder, anxiety and PTSD died from combined drug toxicity involving gabapentin, oxycodone, tramadol, diazepam, citalopram, desmethylvenlafa…
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. Some material may have been redacted or restricted by court order or privacy requirements. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction — report an inaccuracy here.