N.S. doctor denies alleged negligence in case of woman who died after long ER wait
N.S. doctor denies alleged negligence in case of woman who died after long ER wait
Allison and Günter Holthoff pose for a photo on a beach. (Source: Ali Holthoff/Facebook)
HALIFAX -
A doctor named in a lawsuit after a Nova Scotia woman died in hospital following a long wait to see a physician has denied allegations from the family that he failed in his duties.
Allison Holthoff died at the Cumberland Regional Health Centre in Amherst, N.S., due to complications associated with an untreated splenic aneurysm, according to a statement of claim filed Feb. 22 on behalf of Holthoff's three children and her husband.
The family has alleged in their lawsuit that medical staff failed to assess Holthoff's condition or take her vitals on multiple occasions over the course of her hospital visit on Dec. 31, 2022, as her condition rapidly deteriorated.
In his notice of defence filed Thursday, Dr. John Atia said he wasn't negligent in his treatment of Holthoff, denied he "failed to respond to pleas of nursing staff," and said he worked "in a consummately professional manner."
The lawsuit was launched by the family in Nova Scotia Supreme Court against Nova Scotia Health and Atia, the attending ER physician when Holthoff arrived.
The doctor's statement said when Holthoff first was triaged by ER staff at 11:14 a.m., she had abdominal pain that was being felt in her chest as she breathed, but "her vital signs were all within normal ranges."
Atia says at 11:45 a.m., as he was attending other patients, he ordered blood work, an electrocardiogram and urine analysis for Holthoff and "it turned out the test results were normal."
The woman's husband, Gunter Holthoff, has said he took his wife to the hospital when she collapsed in extreme pain after complaining of an upset stomach at their home near Amherst.
Holthoff has said that after being triaged by hospital staff, his wife waited more than six hours in the emergency room before she was taken to a room inside the unit, and it was another hour before she saw a doctor and received pain treatment.
Atia says in his statement of defence that as Holthoff was waiting, he was occupied with four critical psychiatric emergency cases and four critical cases of pediatric illness, and he was working on his own.
It says in one of the cases of pediatric stroke, Atia had to expend "considerable effort" to arrange Life Flight service to IWK Health Centre.
The statement of defence says that between 11:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Atia wasn't told of Holthoff's deteriorating condition, and he only learned at about 6 p.m. that her blood pressure had "dropped precipitously."
The defence says he immediately went to assess her and ordered treatments to diagnose her and arrange imaging of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, and to arrange for a radiologist in Halifax to do the analysis.
According to the document, while the CT scan was being arranged, Atia had brought Holthoff to an area where X-rays were to be taken. It says as Atia was briefing another ER doctor who was coming on shift, Holthoff had a heart attack.
Atia then stayed after hours and "worked diligently" to help arrange for Holthoff's intensive care, says the defence.
The defendant asks the court to dismiss the case against him and that he be allowed to seek legal costs from the plaintiff.
A day before Holthoff's death, 67-year-old Charlene Snow died at home after she gave up on seeing a doctor at a Cape Breton emergency room after waiting about seven hours. After the two deaths, Nova Scotia announced a plan aimed at providing faster urgent care for patients.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2023.
Seventeen people – most of whom are young students – have been taken to hospital after a falling from a height during a field trip at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has confidence in David Johnston, even as the House of Commons is about to vote in favour of a motion to push him out of his job.
Canada will soon require health warnings to be printed directly on individual cigarettes, making it the first country to implement this kind of measure aimed at reducing tobacco usage.
More than three years after Covid was declared a global pandemic, a new study is looking at how the international health crisis has changed the lifestyle habits of Canadians.
The Canadian economy grew faster than expected in the first three months of the year and likely expanded again in April, fuelling speculation that the Bank of Canada will raise interest rates again.
A former staffer who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault has defected to Moscow and spoken to Russian state media in a news conference that lasted several hours.
Wildfires in Nova Scotia have burned thousands of hectares across the province, forcing many to flee their homes. Halifax-area residents tell CTV News what it was like for them when they had to evacuate.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Brad Treliving to be the team's new general manager. The team made the announcement Wednesday, less than two weeks after firing Kyle Dubas.
A Toronto woman says she was shamed for the size of her order at a sushi restaurant north of the city in a scathing review posted to social media that’s been viewed more than 1.4 million times.
Seventeen people – most of whom are young students – have been taken to hospital after a falling from a height during a field trip at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar.
Last year, Quebec’s Bill 96 became law, which brought sweeping changes to the Charter of the French language. Sections of the new law will come into effect on June 1, the one-year anniversary of the bill receiving royal assent.
High heat is pushing into parts of Quebec this week, and many communities could see record-breaking temperatures this week. Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued special weather statements, advising people of the above-average temperatures.
A new team working out of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada (SHC-Canada) wants to get young people like Horn, who injured themselves, back on their feet and running as fast and efficiently as possible.
A Toronto woman says she was shamed for the size of her order at a sushi restaurant north of the city in a scathing review posted to social media that’s been viewed more than 1.4 million times.
Forest fires in northern Ontario are on the rise, with the largest in the region shutting down a critical highway for the people of Hornepayne for a bit and bringing the community to the brink of evacuation.
Seventeen people – most of whom are young students – have been taken to hospital after a falling from a height during a field trip at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar.
Manitoba RCMP have arrested a priest from a First Nation community who is accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl, and believe there may be more victims.
Canadian Heritage unveiled the programming for July 1 celebrations, inviting Canadians to come to the capital region to "join the biggest party in the country!"
A heat warning is in effect for Ottawa. Environment Canada's forecast calls for sunny and hot weather to continue for the final day of May and the start of June.
Hundreds of nurses from across B.C. are gathering in Vancouver Wednesday to demand better working conditions, adding to multiple calls by medical professionals this week for urgent action to staff under-resourced hospitals.
A man who worked at an addiction recovery organization has been charged with three counts of sexual assault, according to the New Westminster Police Department.
A "critical" shortage of teachers in B.C. is leading to increased workloads, mounting stress and an inability to meet students' needs, according to a first-of-its-kind survey conducted by the union.
The northern Vancouver Island village of Sayward remains on edge Wednesday as a wildfire continues to burn out of control just five kilometres west of the community.
The B.C. government will set housing targets for 10 major communities on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland in an effort to combat the province's housing shortage.
Allison and Günter Holthoff pose for a photo on a beach. (Source: Ali Holthoff/Facebook)
