Deceased
PDR
Demographics
78y, male
Coroner
Coroner Sarah Gebert
Date of death
2025-05-12
Finding date
2026-02-27
Cause of death
Acute pancreatitis
AI-generated summary
A 78-year-old man with a long history of mental illness and multiple chronic physical conditions died from acute pancreatitis on 12 May 2025, nine days after presenting with nausea and vomiting at Thomas Embling Hospital (a forensic mental health facility). He was rapidly transferred to Austin Hospital where CT imaging confirmed acute interstitial oedematous pancreatitis. Despite supportive care with fluids, analgesia and anti-emetics, his condition deteriorated and he was transitioned to palliative care. The Coroners Prevention Unit found no areas of concern with his medical management. The cause of pancreatitis was unclear; while some antipsychotic medications can rarely cause pancreatitis, he had tolerated these for decades and required them. His death could not have been predicted or prevented based on available evidence. The facility's internal review identified minor administrative improvements regarding documentation of blood results and inclusion of chronic conditions in care plans.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Procedures
44y · Female·Pulmonary thromboembolism complicating a fractured left ankle (not operated), su…
A 44-year-old woman died from pulmonary thromboembolism 27 days after sustaining a Weber B ankle fracture from a fall. She was managed conservatively with a CAM boot then below-knee cast, with progressive immobilisation …
53y · Male·Aspiration pneumonia in the setting of Down syndrome and pelvic fractures
Damien Mark Stone, a 53-year-old man with Down syndrome and early-onset Alzheimer's disease, died from aspiration pneumonia following a pelvic fracture sustained during hospital admission. Key clinical lessons include: (…
53y · Male·Sepsis secondary to aspiration pneumonia
Giovanni John Miceli, a 53-year-old man with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability living in specialist disability accommodation, died from sepsis secondary to aspiration pneumonia. He had a known history of recurre…
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.