A Guelph woman and her children are suing Guelph General Hospital (GGH) and several doctors for a collective $1.57 million, claiming misdiagnosis of the woman’s condition led to her becoming permanently blind.
“(The plaintiff) has sustained physical impairment and injury in the form of complete and irreversible blindness, and mental, psychological and emotional impairment and injury from the effects of this devastating and unexpected change in her life,” reads the statement of claim.
“As a result of the negligence of the defendants, jointly and severally, (the plaintiff) has sustained pain and suffering, loss of amenities, and the enjoyment of the life she would have experienced had it not been for her blindness.”
The lawsuit, filed in Toronto on Feb. 10, seeks a total of $1.57 million in damages, including $1 million to cover past and future care costs.
None of the allegations have been tested or proven in court and a statement of defence has not been filed.
A spokesperson for GGH declined to comment on the lawsuit, which is the hospital’s standard practice regarding ongoing court matters.
As outlined in the woman’s statement of claim, the alleged ordeal began when she developed pain around her forehead and right ear in December of 2020. She attended GGH on Jan. 1 of 2021, was diagnosed with shingles and “treated appropriately” for that condition.
However, symptoms continued after anti-viral treatment had ended and she returned to the hospital emergency department on Feb. 12 and again on Feb. 16 with complaints of a sore throat
“The history of shingles in the head and face was known. She reported trouble swallowing, blisters inside her mouth, trouble keeping her mouth open, jaw pain, and forehead pain,” the lawsuit explains. “There is nothing in the GGH records to indicate a consideration or appreciation that complications from shingles or giant cell ateritis (GCA) may have occurred.”
The woman soon began experiencing issues with her vision in both eyes, the statement of claim continues, prompting a visit to her optometrist on Feb. 22 and a referral appointment with an ophthalmologist the next day during which she was advised to attend GGH for urgent neuro-imaging.
She did that on Feb. 24 and was admitted to hospital after being diagnosed with temporal artertis.
A Feb. 25 biopsy performed at GGH was recorded in hospital records as being “inconclusive” for GCA.
At some point during the woman’s stay at GGH, her lawsuit states an internal medicine and rheumatology specialist was consulted over the phone and they advised the standard treatment for GCA is prednisone and that “this should not wait for the results of a biopsy or conclusive proof of GCA.”
The woman was discharged from hospital on Feb. 27 and given a prescription for prednisone.
Within 48 hours, she was “completely blind.”
Results of the GGH biopsy were subsequently reviewed at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, with a second biopsy conducted there on March 5.
“Both biopsies were considered at St. Michael’s to be diagnostic of GCA,” the lawsuit claims.
“The negligence of the defendants, jointly and severally, caused the worsening of the GCA condition suffered by (the plaintiff), and furthermore caused the irreversible and complete blindness she has suffered since March 2021 and will continue to suffer for the rest of her life,” the document continues. “There has also been significant and serious hearing loss caused by the GCA. The high doses of prednisone, in March 2021 and later, have had an impact on memory and cognition.”
