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Coroner's Court of Western Australia

Government of Western Australia State Coat of Arms
Coroner's Court of Western Australia

Inquest Findings

Home →Inquest Findings→Inquest Findings 2015→Papakostas, Constantina

Inquest into the Death of Constantinas PAPAKOSTAS

Inquest into the Death of Constantina PAPAKOSTAS

Delivered on: 28 August 2015

Delivered at: Perth

Finding of: Coroner King

Recommendations: N/A

Orders/Rules: N/A

Suppression Order: N/A

Summary: The deceased died at Royal Perth Hospital on 11 December 2011 from carcinomatosis complicated by recurrent sepsis and multisystem failure in a man with renal cell carcinoma. He was 66 years of age. At the time of his death he was a sentenced prisoner being detained at Casuarina Prison.

In July 2005 the deceased presented at the prison medical centre with recurring haematuria. Urinary tract infection was excluded but ultrasound scans were not arranged. The deceased developed renal cell carcinoma that was not diagnosed until October 2010.

The coroner found that if those responsible for the deceased’s treatment and care had undertaken appropriate investigations in 2005, it is likely that the carcinoma would have been identified and, possibly, cured. The failure to carry out those investigations resulted in inadequate treatment and care of the deceased.

The coroner accepted that systemic changes and professional development initiatives implemented by the Department of Corrective Services have led to improvements in the health services provided to prisoners.

Catch Words : death in custody : haematuria : renal cell carcinoma : inadequate investigations : natural causes.

 


Last updated: 13-Feb-2024

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