A hard lesson: Chiropractors do not have the medical training of physicians
Here is a lesson learned the hard way that while chiropractors may be professionals they are not trained medically the way your physician is. In June an Australian chiropractor made statements in court that while performing neck manipulation on a patient, the man suffered a fatal heart attack. While there is no allegation that the neck manipulation caused the heart attack, the chiropractors complete lack of recognition that his “patient” had suffered a heart attack while on the table seems alarming at best.
The chiropractor, Dr. Mario Forte, only noticed that James Gordon Halloran had no pulse after calling 000 (Australia’s version of 911) and being instructed to attempt CPR. Forte, who is blind, said that shaking and convulsions by Halloran (presumably the heart attack he was suffering from) seemed only like seizures. Why this “medical professional” would not respond in some way to his patient’s seizures while getting neck manipulation is bizarre in the firsts place. Apparently Forte was not concerned that whatever he was doing to Mr. Halloran was not causing the seizures and didn’t even seem inclined to stop manipulating his neck to determine what was causing the seizures.
One has to wonder if Forte had stopped the manipulation when he sensed the seizures, of if he had even asked Mr. Halloran what was wrong, whether anything might have been done to save his life. Moreover, it appears that Halloran came to Forte complaining of headaches, vertigo, and visual problems. Instead of manipulating Mr. Halloran’s neck when he presented with these symptoms, Forte should have referred Mr. Halloran to medical professional who could have diagnosed that he was having a heart attack and might have saved his life. To read more about this tragic story, visit http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25714309-2682,00.html.
Remember, chiropractors are not doctors and are not a sufficient substitute for true medical care. Heart attack like symptoms should always be treated by a trip to the emergency room and not on a chiropractor’s table. For more information about injuries due to the negligence of chiropractors, please talk with one of the chiropractic injury attorneys at Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones PLC.
