Finding into death of Rodney David Keegan

41y · Male·Cardiomyopathy in a setting of acute abdomen

Rodney David Keegan, a 41-year-old man with intellectual disability, epilepsy, psychosis, and prior cardiac surgery, was admitted to hospital following a fall. He developed acute abdominal pain with free fluid on imaging but no identifiable cause. He suffered cardiopulmonary arrest, was resuscitated and intubated but aspirated during intubation attempts. His condition deteriorated despite ICU care. The coroner found death resulted from cardiomyopathy in the setting of acute abdomen of unknown aetiology. No medical mismanagement was identified. The exact cause of the acute abdomen remained unexplained despite investigation, limiting opportunities to identify preventable factors.