Finding into death of Faye Gwynneth Lancashire

68y · Female·Presumed septic shock with multiple organ failure secondary to acute suppurative appendicitis with recent laparoscopic division of peritoneal adhesions

A 68-year-old woman died from septic shock and multi-organ failure secondary to acute suppurative appendicitis complicated by recent peritoneal adhesion division. Admitted on 31 March 2005 with acute abdominal pain, she underwent laparoscopic adhesiolysis but no appendicectomy was performed despite febrile symptoms. The coroner found no reasonable basis to criticise the decision not to perform immediate laparotomy, the decision not to prescribe antibiotics (not standard practice in 2005), or the clinical management at either hospital. The deterioration was extraordinarily rapid and unexpected. Expert surgeons were equally mystified by the disproportionate response to what appeared to be low-grade appendicitis. The clinical lesson is that whilst hindsight suggests various interventions might have helped, the decision-making was reasonable given available information and 2005 standards of practice.