Coroner's Finding: Stephens, Vicki Lavinia

65y · Female·klebsiella pneumonia sepsis and rhabdomyolysis after a fall at home

A 65-year-old woman with multiple chronic conditions including COPD, ischaemic heart disease, and alcoholic hepatitis fell at home and remained on the floor for approximately 2 hours before ambulance arrival. She presented with signs of systemic illness including hypotension, tachycardia, and speech changes. Hospital admission revealed multiple organ failure; she developed klebsiella pneumonia sepsis and rhabdomyolysis. Despite intensive care, her condition deteriorated and she died. The coroner found no preventability issues or systemic failures. Clinical lessons include recognising that prolonged immobility after falls in elderly patients with comorbidities can precipitate rapid deterioration through sepsis and rhabdomyolysis, and considering early intervention for mobility decline and reduced oral intake in community-dwelling older adults.