Inquest into the Death of Robert James (aka Philip Kevin Luckie and Robert John Coughlin)
Deceased
Robert James
Demographics
44y, male
Date of death
2013-02-01
Finding date
2014-11-21
Cause of death
Early bronchopneumonia in a man receiving palliative medical care for liver failure due to cirrhosis
AI-generated summary
Robert James, a 44-year-old prisoner with end-stage hepatitis C cirrhosis, died from early bronchopneumonia while receiving palliative care. He had been terminally ill for over a year, with progressively deteriorating liver function and multiple complications including hepatic encephalopathy and renal failure. He was admitted to Royal Perth Hospital on 24 January 2013 with infection and renal failure, and died on 1 February 2013. The coroner found his medical management was appropriate and coordinated well between prison and hospital specialists. His condition was inevitably terminal without liver transplantation, which was declined due to poor social circumstances and active substance use history. No clinical failures or preventable factors were identified. The coroner commended the quality of treatment and care provided.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- End-stage hepatitis C cirrhosis
- Chronic liver failure with immunocompromise
- Renal failure secondary to infection
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Longstanding intravenous drug use
- Inability to undergo liver transplantation due to poor social circumstances and substance use history
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