Selina Broadhurst
PFD Report
Historic (No Identified Response)
Ref: 2014-0065
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
Strict adherence to NICE Guidelines regarding CT head scans, which don't recommend scans without obvious neurological signs, is causing delayed or missed severe brain injury diagnoses in frail elderly patients.
View full coroner's concerns
The Emergency Department doctors indicated that they could not get a CT of the head because "the NICE Guidelines do not indicate as appropriate where there are no obvious neurological signs have noted in this inquest and indeed in a number of inquests previously that the doctors are following these guidelines and in fact many severe brain injury cases are being missed or there is a delay in diagnosis. Is it not now time that this guideline was re-examined and the advice amended, especially when dealing with the very frail elderly patient?
Sent To
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Response Status
Linked responses
0 of 1
56-Day Deadline
14 Apr 2014
About PFD responses
Organisations named in PFD reports must respond within 56 days explaining what actions they are taking.
Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
Report Sections
Investigation and Inquest
On 21st February 2013 commenced an investigation into the death of Selina Isabella Broadhurst dob 1st January 1927 . The investigation concluded on the12th February 2014 the conclusion was one of Accidental Death. The medical cause of death was 1a Bronchopneumonia 1b Intra-cerebral Haemorrhage 2 Vascular dementia and Type two diabetes mellitus CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH: On the 14th February 2013 she fell at the EP.H. where she lived and suffered a blow to the head. She was admitted to hospital and, inter alia, she was not afforded a CT scan of her head until a second admission some hours later when she was shown to have a major bleed to the brain: This was despite the fact that she had an external injury to the front of her scalp
Action Should Be Taken
In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and believe_You_have and and being the power to take such action: It is essential that full information is passed promptly to the GP practice of a patient being discharged:
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Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.