Finding into death of Omar Jamil Moujalled

Contributing factors

• thunderstorm asthma event with severe allergic reaction to ryegrass pollen
• sub-optimal use of preventer medications
• severe sensitivity to ryegrass pollen with elevated IgE
• hay fever and seasonal asthma exacerbations
• lack of documented asthma emergency management plan
• outdoor exposure during thunderstorm with gust front dispersing pollen
• unprecedented surge in emergency call demand overwhelming ambulance dispatch capacity
• possible Alternaria mould sensitisation as co-factor

Coroner's recommendations

1. Further research into the specific meteorological, biological and aerobiological factors that combine to create thunderstorm asthma events to improve prediction and forecasting accuracy
2. Continued verification and development of the thunderstorm asthma forecasting system
3. Continuation of public awareness campaigns linking hay fever and thunderstorm asthma with escalated preventative therapy
4. Further medical, allied health and community education encouraging hay fever sufferers to undergo allergy testing to understand susceptibility and inform clinical management
5. When thunderstorm asthma warnings are issued, those at risk should remain indoors with windows and doors shut, turn off evaporative cooling and external air systems, and consider travelling outside peak exposure times
6. Continued testing and refinement of new ambulance dispatch scripts (surge script and updated Priority 0/1 exit scripts) to provide callers with more accurate information during high-demand periods
7. Further work to configure emergency response systems to provide callers with estimated arrival times of ambulances where feasible
8. Continued collaborative work between DHHS, ESTA, Ambulance Victoria, Bureau of Meteorology and other agencies on emergency preparedness for thunderstorm asthma and other surge events