Deceased
Kieran Joseph McGuinness
Demographics
37y, male
Coroner
Coroner David Ryan
Date of death
2022-09-11
Finding date
2024-01-16
Cause of death
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in the setting of acquired brain injury with post traumatic epilepsy
AI-generated summary
Kieran McGuinness, 37, died of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) following acquired brain injury with post-traumatic epilepsy. He was found unresponsive on his apartment floor on 11 September 2022, having been found in the hallway the previous day by a disability support worker. The worker believed Kieran was intoxicated and left him on the floor to 'sober up' without considering seizure as a differential diagnosis, despite Kieran's known seizure risk and recent hospitalisation for seizures. His seizure management plan required calling an ambulance for unresponsiveness or prolonged seizures. The coroner found an opportunity for escalation of care was missed. Key lessons: disability support workers require training to recognise seizures versus intoxication, understand when to escalate care, and follow seizure management protocols even when alternative explanations seem plausible.
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
Procedures
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