Inquest into the death of Jason RADFORD
Deceased
Jason Radford
Demographics
48y, male
Date of death
2021-10-26
Finding date
2022-12-06
Cause of death
Fatal cardiac arrhythmia which was the result of obstructive sleep apnoea
AI-generated summary
Jason Radford, a 48-year-old First Nations man, died of fatal cardiac arrhythmia secondary to obstructive sleep apnoea while in custody at Junee Correctional Centre. He had multiple comorbidities including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and was on methadone for opioid substitution and olanzapine for psychiatric conditions. The coroner found his medical care was appropriate: his sleep apnoea was adequately managed with CPAP, cardiac monitoring with regular ECGs was performed, and his QT interval prolongation risk from methadone was properly monitored. The resuscitation attempts on the morning of his death were also appropriate. The coroner noted that depot buprenorphine (Buvidal), which carries lower cardiac arrhythmia risk than methadone, was not available at the facility at the time but has since been implemented across NSW correctional centres.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- obstructive sleep apnoea
- cardiomegaly
- obesity
- type 2 diabetes
- methadone use
- olanzapine use
- possible non-use of CPAP mask on night of death
Coroner's recommendations
- Communicate Associate Professor Adams' concerns about CPAP non-compliance rates to the GEO Group for reflection on whether steps might be taken to encourage better compliance levels
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