Coroner's Finding: HAUSLER Christopher Raymond

61y · Male·Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Christopher Raymond Hausler, a 61-year-old man, died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on 13 March 2018 while subject to a Level 2 Inpatient Treatment Order. He presented with rapidly progressive cognitive decline, speech difficulties, and motor dysfunction from November 2017 onwards. Initial assessment by his general practitioner attributed symptoms to work stress; however, subsequent referrals revealed cerebral atrophy on MRI. A neurology referral was arranged, and he was admitted to hospital on 22 February 2018 with severe neuropsychiatric symptoms requiring restraint and one-to-one nursing. Lumbar puncture confirmed sporadic CJD on 8 March 2018. The coroner found that detention was lawful and medical care was appropriate. No deficiencies in care were identified. The case highlights the importance of recognising rapidly progressive neurological syndromes and considering neurodegenerative diseases in the differential diagnosis of acute cognitive decline with behavioural changes.