THE FAMILY of a man who walked away from a minor crash but later developed a brain bleed and died have called for routine CT scans for elderly people involved in accidents.
Dublin Coroner’s Court heard that Michael King (74) a journalist of Ardee Road, Dunleer in Co Louth died on January 22nd last year having crashed his car just minutes from his home three days previously. He had been driving on the Ardee Road when he lost control of his car and struck a wall.
He was admitted to AE at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, in Drogheda, Co Louth where staff had difficulties sourcing his medical records and a brain scan was not carried out until six hours after the incident.
The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell will also write to Our Lady of Lourdes to recommend it review the storage of medical records and to the Irish Neurological Association to recommend reviewing guidelines on CT scans for elderly patients involved in accidents.