Deceased
Wayne Myhill
Demographics
54y, male
Coroner
Coroner Phillip Byrne
Date of death
2019-03-23
Finding date
2022-02-03
Cause of death
Neck injuries sustained in a fall - fracture of the fifth cervical vertebra (carrot stick fracture)
AI-generated summary
Wayne Myhill, aged 54, died from a cervical spine fracture (C5 level) sustained in a fall at his group home in Ararat, Victoria. He had cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome with frequent seizures, and prior cervical spine fusion (2001) that rendered his neck rigid and vulnerable to catastrophic injury from minor trauma. Between mid-February and mid-March 2019, Mr Myhill's seizures increased, he experienced sleep disturbance, and got out of bed repeatedly at night (9-10 times per night). The disability support service failed to implement enhanced falls prevention strategies despite these clear warning signs, such as increased night staffing or motion-sensor alarms. A fall to the bathroom floor resulted in a 'carrot stick' fracture with spinal cord compression causing respiratory failure. The Disability Services Commissioner found that appropriate risk management strategies were not implemented to mitigate falls risk during his changed nocturnal behaviour. Post-implementation of falls prevention resources, no further investigation was deemed necessary.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
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