Finding into death of Reece Arthur Hyde

61y · Male·Complications of metastatic colorectal carcinoma in a man with multiple medical comorbidities

Reece Arthur Hyde, a 61-year-old man with severe intellectual disability, non-verbal communication, severe epilepsy, and osteoporosis, died from complications of metastatic colorectal carcinoma. He was admitted to Colac Area Health with sepsis and rectal bleeding secondary to his cancer. Medical staff provided a presumed diagnosis of perforated colorectal cancer and implemented palliative treatment with morphine and midazolam following discussions with his family. He died peacefully on 12 June 2019. The coroner found no evidence requiring further investigation. The case illustrates appropriate palliative management in advanced metastatic cancer with sepsis, where curative intervention was neither feasible nor indicated given the clinical context and family discussion.