Hospitalisation may have saved misdiagnosed man, inquest told

File photo / NZ Herald

A man who died from complications associated with the swine flu virus would have been more likely to survive if he had been hospitalised, a coroner's inquest has heard.

Hawera man Michael Arthur Thompson was found dead in his home on the morning of June 24, 2011. A post-mortem examination determined the 41-year-old had died from pneumonia and carried the H1N1 strain.

He had visited a GP twice -- the second time about 14 hours prior to his death. On this occasion, he was diagnosed with a bacterial chest infection by Dr Yassir Alaaraji and prescribed amoxicillin.

Dr Alaaraji gave evidence to Mr Thompson's inquest in Palmerston North via video link from Canada this morning.

He stated Mr Thompson had not presented with symptoms in line with the H1N1 virus. Instead, he suspected a lower respiratory tract infection made worse by stress.

Dr Rudyard Yap, an infectious disease specialist for the MidCentral District Health Board, told Coroner Tim Scott that Dr Alaaraji had made an "inadequate" assessment.

He said the consultation notes were "scanty" and didn't include critical factors such as Mr Thompson's respiratory rate or oxygen levels.

"During the assessment there were a number of symptoms not pointed out ... people die from influenza complications like pneumonia or acute kidney injury. There's no mention of this, however it does seem this patient was in septic shock or bleeding there when he got to the consultation."

If hospitalisation had occurred, Mr Thompson may have been evaluated for antiviral therapy, intubation for respiratory failure and proper broad spectrum antibiotics, he said.

Mr Thompson's survival however could not be "guaranteed".

Mr Thompson's wife, Vicky, shared her own concerns with Dr Alaaraji about his assessment. She was present at the time and felt unhappy a chest x-ray wasn't undertaken as well as the relatively "simple" tests of taking respiratory rates and oxygen levels.

"You probably spent about five minutes on the flu side ... the rest of the time you talked about yourself," she said.

The inquest in the High Court at Palmerston North is expected to finish tomorrow.