Deceased
Walter Robert Hanslow
Demographics
75y, male
Date of death
2018-06-10
Finding date
2020-07-09
Cause of death
bilateral subdural haematoma due to fall
AI-generated summary
Walter Robert Hanslow, a 75-year-old man with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and significant mobility limitations, sustained a fall at a nursing home on 9 June 2018. He was found on the ground but initially appeared uninjured with no obvious signs of trauma. Over the following hours, he developed signs of serious head injury including vomiting, altered consciousness, agitation, and a bruise to his right temple. He was transferred to hospital where imaging revealed a large bilateral subdural haematoma. Despite neurosurgical consultation advising high operative risk, his advance directive precluded resuscitation and he received palliative care until death. The coroner found care at both the nursing home and hospital was appropriate and lawful. Clinical lessons include the importance of careful observation and early recognition of deterioration post-fall in elderly patients on anticoagulation or with bleeding risk, and the need for low thresholds for neuroimaging when subdural haematoma is suspected.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Clinical conditions
Procedures
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