Elder's death shows community health professionals didn't know enough about critical hotline

The N.W.T.'s chief coroner says community health professionals need to know what supports are available to them during emergency situations — after an investigation into the death of a 76-year-old woman revealed that a potentially crucial X-ray wasn't reviewed for two days.

In the coroner's report, Cathy Menard says the elderly woman from Fort Resolution went to the local health centre on May 8, complaining of shortness of breath and feeling unwell for 10 days. The next day a chest X-ray was done, and the woman was scheduled for an appointment at the medical clinic in Hay River on May 11.

During that appointment, she was seen by a doctor and then transferred to the emergency department at Hay River's hospital, where she was diagnosed with renal failure, liver failure, pneumonia, sepsis and alcohol withdrawal.

The woman continued to decline, despite treatment, and she died the next day.

Menard's investigation found the chest X-ray taken May 9 was not reviewed until May 11. 

She said health care professionals, who hadn't been in the community very long, were unaware that the territory's Med Response call centre provides clinical supports in emergency situations.

Health professionals need to 'be aware of what is offered'

The Med Response program was launched in the N.W.T. early last year. The 24-hour service, based out of Yellowknife's Stanton Territorial Hospital, gives health care workers in the communities one phone number to call for medical support from nurses and physicians, as well as air ambulance dispatchers.

"[They] provide critical clinical support when health care professionals are faced in the communities with critical situations," Menard said in an interview with CBC.

She's recommending that the N.W.T.'s Department of Health review the current policy and procedures of the Med Response call centre when it comes to training practices for community health care workers.

"They need to make sure that the healthcare professionals that are working in the communities are aware of what is offered and what clinical support is available to them," Menard said.

In this case, she said the workers knew about Med Response, but thought it was only a medevac service.

Menard couldn't say whether the elderly woman's death could have been prevented if the X-ray had been reviewed by a Med Response team sooner.

"With coroner recommendations it's always in the hopes of hopefully preventing a future death," she said.