Patient died after GP missed diabetic ketoacidosis: coroner
The doctor didn't take a fingerprick blood glucose test despite including diabetes as a differential diagnosis
A GP missed a case of diabetic ketoacidosis by failing to perform a fingerprick blood glucose test, partly because the patient hadn’t been formally diagnosed with diabetes, a coroner says.
Phillip Sealey, who had ischaemic heart disease and a family history of diabetes, presented to the GP in June 2019 complaining of thirst, urinary frequency and nocturia.
It was the first time the 62-year-old had consulted the GP from Maryborough, in Victoria’s north-west. He had felt too unwell to travel to see his regular doctor, who was a three hours’ drive away.
The GP diagnosed hypertension (blood pressure of 160/90mmHg) and prescribed perindopril 5mg.
