Quartermain, Robert George

67y · Male·Acute myocardial infarction

Robert Quartermain, a 67-year-old prisoner with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and previous myocardial infarction, suffered acute myocardial infarction while in custody. He experienced acute breathing difficulties in his cell at 11:10pm on 6 June 2011. Fellow prisoners and correctional staff provided initial assistance; an ambulance was called at 11:24pm after a 14-minute delay. He suffered cardiac arrest, was resuscitated by paramedics, but remained comatose with significant hypoxic damage. He died at Rockhampton Base Hospital on 7 June 2011. The coroner found the infarction was likely silent with no prodromal symptoms. Medical care at both the correctional centre and hospital was appropriate. The delay in ambulance notification, while undesirable, did not affect outcome. No systemic deficiencies were identified.