Timmins, Ont., woman who had chiropractor treat her diabetes ends up in a coma
A professional health standards review committee is calling for a review of sanctions for a Timmins chiropractor whose patient ended up in a diabetic coma.
An initial review of the case by the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee ended with the chiropractor being issued advice to adhere to the scope of practice for chiropractors under Ontario law.
The transcript of the appeal said the female patient went to the chiropractor in October 2018 “to help understand diabetes.” The woman, who had type 1 diabetes, remained his patient until November 2019.
“During this period, the patient and the respondent exchanged numerous text messages, including messages regarding blood sugar, insulin and the patient’s insulin pump,” the transcript said.
On Nov. 10, 2019, she was feeling unwell and went to the chiropractor’s house, because the clinic wasn’t open.
“The patient provided information that during the Nov. 10 visit, she was at the respondent’s house for approximately one hour during which time he gave her vitamins, water and treated her with the activator,” the transcript said.
“She vomited three times during her visit ... the respondent assured the patient when she began vomiting that this was normal, advised that the vomiting was a good thing as it meant that the acidity was leaving the patient’s body, told the patient to continue drinking water and did not seem concerned.”
But on the morning of Nov. 11, she was unresponsive and hospitalized for severe ketoacidosis due to high blood sugar levels due to lack of insulin intake.
The initial review concluded that the chiropractor did not cause the diabetic coma, it was a malfunctioning insulin pump.
However, the appeals board concluded that the chiropractor was not taken to task for not recognizing the seriousness of his patient’s symptoms.
“There is no analysis in the decision regarding whether the respondent met the standard of care required of a chiropractor in failing to advise the patient to seek further medical attention on Nov. 10,” the appeals board said.
“The board finds that the information in the record supports that the patient informed the respondent that she was feeling very unwell on Nov. 10 before the visit, she continued to feel unwell during the visit vomiting several times, she was likely suffering from the early stages of ketoacidosis given her condition and hospitalization the following day, and the respondent did not advise the patient to seek medical attention.”
The board failed to address the standard-of-care issue in its first decision, the appeals body said, in particular the fact he didn’t “recognize the severity of the patient’s condition” and advise her to get medical care.
So it referred the issue back to the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee to issue a new decision in the case.
Read the full transcript here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NEWS Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'