Coroner's Finding: Sheedy, Barbara

77y · Female·Large acute subdural haemorrhage leading to uncal herniation subsequent to an accidental fall

Barbara Sheedy, 77, died from acute subdural haemorrhage following an accidental fall in hospital. She fell while using a wheeled walker and initially appeared uninjured with normal neurological examination. However, she developed breathing difficulties and severe headache hours later, which were attributed to pre-existing pulmonary disease. A dilated pupil at 4:25am prompted CT imaging revealing large right-sided subdural haemorrhage with brain stem compression. Critical lessons: elderly patients on anticoagulation or with bleeding risks require heightened vigilance after falls even without obvious head trauma; progressive headache and neurological changes warrant urgent imaging rather than attribution to chronic conditions; delayed recognition of subdural haemorrhage contributed to the fatal outcome.