Restraint, sedatives caused Lyji’s death

AAP

A schizophrenic man died as a result of being held down and sedated in a north Queensland hospital, a coroner has found.

Lyji Vaggs, 27, died in Townsville Hospital on April 15, 2010, two days after he stopped breathing while being restrained and sedated on the floor of the nearby mental health unit.

A three-week coronial inquiry last year into Mr Vaggs’ death was told he was in an agitated state on the night of his death and was screaming incoherently.

Doctors ordered he be injected with the antipsychotic drug Olanzapine twice within 17 minutes, contrary to hospital guidelines which state dosages of the drugs should be at least two hours apart.

In findings handed down in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Coroner Michael Barnes found that the restraints applied by hospital security guards and police led to Mr Vaggs’ death.

However, Mr Barnes said there was no basis for referral to prosecuting authorities, because the “force used was a reasonable response to the threat posed my Mr Vaggs”.

He said that no one involved intended harm to Mr Vaggs and that the death was not a “reasonably foreseeable consequence of the restraint”.

Mr Barnes said a treating psychologist at the hospital had made a “serious error of judgment” in deciding not to admit Mr Vaggs as an inpatient on March 28, and highlighted series of subsequent “missed opportunities” for him to be admitted.

“It remains the case, had better decisions been made on a number of occasions, it is likely Lyji would have received in-patient care before the fatal incident occurred,” he said.

Mr Barnes criticised the hospital for only having junior doctors on the night Mr Vaggs was admitted, but he said he was satisfied that changes had since occurred to redress the issue.

Mr Barnes recommended the Director of Mental Health consider allowing the use of plastic wrist ties or handcuffs on violent patients.

Article source: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/restraint-sedatives-caused-lyjis-death-20120221-1tkwk.html