Aboriginal man died after being ‘erroneously’ diagnosed with drug-related illness, inquest hears
A doctor who incorrectly diagnosed an Aboriginal man with drug-related sideeffects less than 24 hours before he died of perforated stomach ulcers has admitted his diagnosis was “without foundation”, an inquest has heard.
Ricky Hampson Jr, a KamilaroiDunghutti man known and referred to in the inquest as Dougie, died on 16 August 2021, less than 24 hours after leaving Dubbo base hospital.
The 36-year-old father of eight and grandfather to one presented to the hospital in western New South Wales complaining of a “tearing” and “popping” sensation in his stomach on 14 August 2021, at the peak of a Covid wave.
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In the opening statement of the inquest held at the Dubbo courthouse on Monday before the deputy state coroner Erin Kennedy, the counsel assisting, Simeon Beckett SC, said Dougie was admitted to the isolation ward of the Dubbo base hospitalafter testing positive to Covid before admission.
He was then diagnosed with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), after telling hospital staff he had smoked marijuana that day and methamphetamine two days prior. Beckett said Dougie told hospital staff he “just wanted pain relief” and described his pain level as “10 out of 10”.
He was sedated and woke “screaming” and “writhing in pain” several times over the course of 18 hours, Beckett said. He was discharged just after midday on 15 August and given ibuprofen and paracetamol, and told to return if his pain worsened. No scans or X-rays were performed, Beckett said.
Dougie then caught a taxi to the house of a relative, where he was last seen alive at 3.30am. He was found dead on their couch six hours later.
His medical file stated he was discharged into the care of the medical officer for the Wellington Correctional Centre, which was listed as his next of kin. He had been in the correctional centre but was released 11 months earlier. Beckett said Dougie was seen clutching his stomach when he walked out of hospital, but told nurses he was suffering from constipation and “just wanted to go home”.
An autopsy ruled Dougie’s death was caused by perforated duodenal (stomach) ulcers, which can present with symptoms including splitting and sudden abdominal pain. He also tested positive postmortem to staphylococcus, streptococcus and E coli.
A pathologist found two ulcers, measuring 0.9cm and 1.5cm in diameter, near the join between the stomach and small intestine. The coroner heard the mortality rate for perforated ulcers of this size was between 1.3 and 20%.
Beckett said the treating doctor who diagnosed Dougie with CHS later admitted the diagnosis was “without foundation” and “erroneous”.
“Hyperemesis requires lots of vomiting and nausea, his symptoms did not meet this,” Beckett said.
The doctor is scheduled to give evidence at the inquest later this week.
The inquest will investigate whether Dougie’s use of drugs, along with his time in prison and his Aboriginality influenced the treatment received at the rural hospital, and whether further medical investigation would have revealed the ulcers.
It will also consider whether the coroner should make recommendations around the treatment of Aboriginal patients at Dubbo hospital and any specific directives for hospital staff.
At a smoking ceremony outside the court before the hearing began, Dougie’s father, Ricky Hampson Sr, said he hoped there would be “serious changes” across the state’s healthcare system to prevent any other First Nations families from losing a loved one.
“There have been so many inquests into Aboriginal deaths in the health system and we are tired of families having to go through the same thing over and over,” he said.
Hampson said he wanted to see “a health system that Aboriginal people can trust, one that we can attend and know we can get culturally safe care”.
“Our people are tired of burying our children and other family members,” he said.
The inquest is scheduled to run for two weeks.
For information and support in Australiacall 13YARN on 13 92 76 for a crisis support line for Indigenous Australians; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. International helplines can be found at befrienders.org
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