Finding into death of David William James Hearn
Deceased
David William James Hearn
Demographics
57y, male
Date of death
2025-04-14
Finding date
2025-11-18
Cause of death
Aspiration pneumonia in a man with cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
AI-generated summary
A 57-year-old man with cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome died from aspiration pneumonia following a short hospital admission. He had a history of recurrent aspiration pneumonia and was receiving nutrition via PEG tube. He presented with acute respiratory distress, hypoxia, and right-sided pneumonia. Despite antibiotic therapy and supportive measures, he deteriorated rapidly. The coroner found no preventable factors and confirmed death from natural causes. The case highlights the vulnerability of people with severe disability living in supported accommodation and the importance of advance care planning in this population, though no specific clinical failures were identified.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Procedures
Contributing factors
- Cerebral palsy with dysphagia
- Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
- Intellectual disability
- Recurrent aspiration pneumonia history
- Rapid deterioration despite treatment
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