A Palmerston North Coroner has criticised a Hawera GP who sent a man who later died of swine flu home instead of referring him to a hospital.
Michael Arthur Thompson, 41, died in his home in June 2011 following an infection with the AH1N1 strain of influenza, also known as swine flu.
In his findings into the Hawera man's death, Coroner Tim Scott said that a week before his death, the KiwiRail employee had been attending a locomotive engineer's course in Palmerston North when he began to feel ill with flu-like symptoms.
Mr Thompson visited a doctor in Palmerston North who diagnosed him with a viral infection and prescribed him with antibiotics.
When his condition then deteriorated, Mr Thompson's wife Vicky then insisted he consult a doctor in Hawera.
They consulted the South Care Medical Practice and without an appointment, Mr Thompson was placed in an urgent patient queue and was seen by an on-duty triage nurse, who conducted a preliminary examination.
Mr Thompson was then seen by Dr Yassir Alaaraji, who told Coroner Scott that he performed a thorough and significantly long consultation, during which he concluded that Mr Thompson's condition did not warrant hospitalisation.
Dr Alaaraji also said he did not order x-rays or check Mr Thompson's oxygen saturation levels or respiratory rate and said his headache and chest infection appeared to be stress-related.
Dr Alaaraji later conceded in a letter to the Health and Disability Commissioner that he should have checked Mr Thompson's respiratory rate and oxygen saturation levels and would do so in future.
Coroner Scott described the concessions as "very significant".
Dr Alaaraji added he was unaware that Mr Thompson's condition had deteriorated, and with his consent conducted acupuncture to relieve his headache.
He also said although he had since relocated to Canada, the move was planned before Mr Thompson's death and was in no way related to it.
Evidence given at the inquest by infectious disease specialist Dr Rudyard Yap said it was likely Mr Thompson would have survived if he had been sent straight to hospital.
Hamilton GP Dr David Maplesden also criticised Dr Alaaraji's consultation, saying that he departed from expected standards by failing to measure Mr Thompson's respiratory rate and pulse and oxygen saturation levels.
Coroner Scott added that he had serious concerns about Dr Alaaraji's consultation and diagnosis "and the things that he did not do, namely the oxygen saturation test and the respiratory rate test".
"I concede that had he done these tests they might have confirmed his opinion that Michael could be treated safely in the community, but I doubt it.
"More likely they might have triggered a referral to a hospital."
By Brendan Manning of NZME. News Service
