A medical malpractice action arising from the treatment of a young patient presenting with neurological symptoms at a rural hospital.
The physician failed to recognize the possibility of stroke, lowered the patient’s blood pressure aggressively, and delayed consultation with a tertiary neurology centre.
The court held that the physician breached the standard of care by failing to include stroke in the differential diagnosis, lowering blood pressure despite neurological signs, and delaying transfer for specialist assessment.
Applying the “but for” causation test from Clements v. Clements, the court found that the precipitous blood pressure reduction and delayed administration of heparin promoted clot formation which caused the catastrophic stroke.
The plaintiffs established causation on a balance of probabilities and were awarded damages.
