VIC: Doctor blamed over patients brain haemorrhage death

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-1998
VIC: Doctor blamed over patients brain haemorrhage death

MELBOURNE, Dec 8 AAP - A doctor was today found to have contributed to the death of a
52-year-old man after he failed to diagnose a brain haemorrhage, a Melbourne coroner found.

Deputy State Coroner Iain West told Melbourne Coroners Court that Dr Allan Whiteheads
failure to order appropriate diagnostic tests amounted to him contributing to the death.

"Had these tests been performed the weight of evidence satisfies me that the subarachnoid
haemorrhage would have been detected," Mr West said.

The inquest was told the man, whose name has been suppressed, was suffering a subarachnoid
haemorrhage but was diagnosed as having mild viral meningitis, or a nasty viral illness, and
discharged from hospital.

The man was rushed to hospital late on March 26 last year complaining of intense pressure
in his head.

Dr Whitehead, who was working as a locum at the Mornington Peninsula Hospital, said when he
reviewed the man at 1.30am the next day his headache was relieved by Panadeine, he stopped
vomiting and his nausea had eased.

"My assessment was that he had a mild viral meningitis or a nasty viral illness, causing
the headache for the previous few days," Dr Whitehead told the inquest.

He said he excluded the possibility of a subarachnoid haemorrhage because there was no
clinical evidence to support the diagnosis.

The inquest heard that later the same day the man was returned to the hospital, now called
the Frankston Hospital, and while waiting, collapsed and was rushed to the Alfred Hospital for
emergency surgery.

The man from Edithvale died on April 9.

Mr West today said "the evidence fails to satisfy me that it was reasonable for Dr
Whitehead to make his assessment without performing diagnostic tests".

"I find that Dr Whiteheads omission to order the appropriate diagnostic tests contributed
to the cause of death," he said.

AAP ljm/ra/it/br

KEYWORD: COLLAPSE (CARRIED EARLIER)

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