Finding into death of Lynette Dawn Smith

64y · Female·Complications of cachexia and aspiration pneumonia on a background of cerebral palsy

Lynette Dawn Smith, a 64-year-old woman with cerebral palsy, died from complications of cachexia and aspiration pneumonia. She was admitted to hospital with decreased oral intake and presumed aspiration pneumonia, initially refusing oral antibiotics. After trialling intravenous antibiotics, goals of care were changed to comfort and palliative care on 25 February 2016. She was transferred to palliative care at Wantirna Health where her condition deteriorated, with episodes of faecal vomiting before her death on 2 March 2016. Post-mortem examination revealed functional obstruction of the duodenum secondary to severe weight loss and cachexia. The coroner found care provision to be reasonable and appropriate, with no clinical errors or preventable factors identified. The death resulted from natural causes related to her underlying cerebral palsy and associated complications.