Sinclair stable when clinic sent him to hospital, inquiry hears

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This article was published 20/08/2013 (4464 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brian Sinclair was stable and able to advocate for himself when a clinic sent him to the Health Sciences Centre by taxi.

Shireen Loat, a nurse who saw Sinclair at the Health Action Centre on Sept. 17, 2008, testified today at an inquest looking into Sinclair’s death that an examination found his urinary catheter was blocked.

“You couldn’t see what it was — dirt, stool that came up because incontinent, or pus,” Loat said.

“I felt he needed to go to emergency because he likely had a bladder infection and he certainly had a blocked catheter.”

Loat said Sinclair told her he hadn’t seen any urine drain through his catheter since the day before.

Loat said because Sinclair was deemed to be stable and able to answer questions on his own he was sent to the HSC’s emergency department with a note from a clinic doctor.

Loat said if Sinclair had been unstable an ambulance would have been called.

“If he had a relative there he could have gone in just a regular car with his wheelchair,” she said.

“A relative could have rolled him (in his wheelchair) there.”

Loat said if Sinclair — a double amputee — hadn’t had to use a wheelchair a clinic aide could have driven him to the hospital.

Sinclair, 45, died on Sept. 21, 2008, after waiting in the emergency waiting room for 34 hours.

The inquest has heard Sinclair died between two to seven hours before emergency personnel found him dead.

Kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca